Sealed in our Fate
by Puffypink Voodoo Dolls
Summary: Sakura is a poor peasant who, under certain circumstances, becomes a servant in the palace of China. In the palace is the Ice Prince cold, isolated, and lonely. Thus starts, the story that entwines both fates.
1. Prologue

Sealed in our Fate . . .  
  
A/n: *hugs and glomps everyone who is reading this right now* Thanks so much for actually clicking into my story and taking your precious time to read my words!! Do you have any idea how happy I am? *Jumps and dances around* Haha, anyways, this is another one of my ideas of a CCS romance fic, which I'm sure that I'm going to put most of my time on. I promise that I'll do my best to write the romance and mush you want in a CCS fic! Here's a little introduction before the story. . .  
  
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Prologue  
  
The story happens to take place in the Ancient times of both Japan and China, about 500 years ago. Since I'm not very familiar with the Chinese history, I've created some events where the Western region of China and the Main China region have been signed to a treaty where they would keep peace. In this story, Western and Main China are currently allies with each other. The reason that I used China as my main setting is because I'm quite familiar with the systems of the palace, and how the palace look like, all thanks to the Chinese drama that I've watched a few years ago called 'Huan Zhu Ge Ge'.  
  
Since this is just a romance fic, I don't think I will be putting on any sort of magic materials in this fic. I also don't think I can write any good action scenes either, so I may as well drop that genre to maintain this fic as a whole romance story. But when the direction of the story turns to the point where I might add some action, I may consider it, be definitely nothing about the Clow/Sakura cards. Gomen ne!  
  
Nadeshiko, Sakura's mother, will be alive in this fic and will be living with Sakura like a normal family along with Touya and Fujitaka. Adding Nadeshiko in the story makes Sakura's family seem warmer and happier, and also I can give Nadeshiko the personality that I think she would be if she really was alive.  
  
Note: I'm not sure about the rating of this fic for now, and it might be increased depending on the direction the story goes. Since I really support S+S, expect some heavy mush in this story ^_^!  
  
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And again, thanks so much for reading this! Please review the story after you finish reading it because I really need reader's opinion in order to improve! Constructive criticism I can take, but please no pointless flames. Now click to the next chapter and read!! 


	2. Ch 1 The Heart Breaking News

**Sealed in our Fate…**

Chapter 1 - The Heart-Breaking News  
  
Sakura Kinomoto was a very poor young woman who lived in Ancient Japan. Everyday with little to eat and rags to wear, she would walk down to the market and sell flowers she picked every morning in order to make enough money to support her family. Even in her current state, she's still a bright and cheerful girl full of spirits, and often views life full of hope. Her dreams are to be just ordinary and stay together with her family.

This morning, the mild chirps of birds and the sweet scent of honey-dipped flowers awakened her. Without a minute to hesitate, she immediately washed herself at the nearby lake and ran her fingers through her auburn hair to smoothen it. On her way back to her cottage, she passes by a garden of peony flowers, which happens to catch her attention every time. Since peonies are always sold out, today she managed to pick more that two hands full and lugged the pile back home.

"I'm back!!" She shouts as the echo of her voice brightens her family.

"Whoa, what a pile of flowers you've got there!" Her father, Fujitaka replies while he wipes his hands on his shirt and helped Sakura to mount the flowers at the corner of the house.

"Hey Kaijuu (monster)!! Breakfast is ready!!" Touya makes the entrance with a dish full of left over onigiri (rice balls) from yesterday's dinner.

Sakura narrows her eyes and glares at Touya, "Stop calling me that!!" She helped herself to a small piece of onigiri.

Fujitaka sighed, "You two are never bored of it. Anyway, I'm going upstairs to give your mother the breakfast."

Suddenly, both Sakura and Touya displayed a saddened expression, "Is she still very ill?" They both asked at the same time.

"I'm afraid so," Fujitaka replied. "If only I could make more money with that job…"

"Father, it's not your fault that the stupid boss of yours is so cheap!!" Touya released his anger by punching the wall.

"Don't worry, Mother will be fine! I know she'll be healthy very soon!" Sakura consoled, which made everyone feel lighter and happier. "Anyway, I have to go the market now before other florists gets there before me!!"

Sakura dumped the pile of lowers in a large basket before waving goodbye to her family, and then dashed out to the market.

The market is still pretty quiet with only a few people walking around, so she settled herself at the usual corner and displayed her flowers for sale. While there were few people around, she decided to pick up one of the peonies and started admiring its beauty. Sakura didn't know why, but she could feel a warm sensation every time she holds a peony flower. Her heart feels bliss when she sniffs the sweet scent of the flower, as if the flower itself was a person.

After a while, the market started to flood with people walking around. Sakura already sold more than half of her pile of flowers, so decided to head home with the small bag of gold she managed to make. On her way through the alley, she passed by a group of people surrounding an important document posted on the wall.

Unable to conquer her curiosity, she joined the crowd to find out what's happening. Standing in the middle was a soldier, wearing a Chinese uniform. Beside him was a document signed by the Chinese Empress that's posted on the wall. It reads:

_Labor Needed! Any young woman aging 13-20 may apply to serve as a servant in the Chinese Palace. Minimum wage - 2 bags of gold for 1 days or labor. Limit 200 applicants._

Sakura found this to be the golden chance of her life in order to make enough money to find a doctor for her mother. Immediately, she pushed through the heavy crowd and confronted the soldier.

"Sir, I would like to apply for this job!!" She blurted to the soldier.

The soldier looked at her ragged clothes and dust covered face, judging her immediately.

"Name?" he asked.

"Kinomoto. Sakura Kinomoto."

"Age?"

"16."

"Reason for application?"

"To make enough money for a doctor."

The soldier judged Sakura for another minute, then announced, "You matched qualifications for the job. Report to the local deck tomorrow and be ready to depart."

_What? Depart…? What is this all about…?_

Sakura hesitated, "Depart to where?" She was so clueless on what she had just applied for.

"To China of course!" The soldier rolled his eyes. "You won't be returning to Japan for the rest of your life. Be ready to leave tomorrow. Now go away, there are other's who are behind you!!" The soldier meanly grunted.

Sakura was pushed away from the crowd. Her mind was mixed up, and regretting on her decision. But now there's nothing else she could do, but eat the final dinner with her family.

The sky darkened very quickly as Sakura finally returned home after wandering around the market. The minute she returned home, Fujitaka announced dinner.

Fujitaka caught a glimpse at Sakura at the door then immediately approached her. "Where have you been, Sakura? I was about to get Touya to look for you!"

Sakura didn't answer. She didn't even look at Fujitaka and just nodded slightly as an answer.

He gave her a weird look, decided not to question her any further. "Anyway, dinner is ready!"

Sakura tried to force a smile to hide the truth from the family, but her heart is aching to tell them. _How will I explain to them about tomorrow's departure?_ Her mind kept on arguing with herself.

During dinner, everyone was busy eating while Sakura kept staring at her family, for it may be the last time she will ever see them again. It didn't take long for Touya to notice that Sakura wasn't eating.

"Kaijuu, why aren't you eating? And why are you staring at me like there's not tomorrow??" He asks while chewing his food.

"Oh, it's nothing really…" Sakura quietly replied. Right away, she blamed herself, 'Why couldn't I get myself to I tell them?? Sakura, you are so useless!! You'll never break the news at this rate…'

Everyone else seems to be acting normal and eating dinner pretty quickly, but Sakura hasn't even started her's. Her mind aches whenever she thinks about her departure the next morning, and before she knew it, she had tears rolling down her cheeks.

Fujitaka and Nadeshiko immediately dropped their bowls and asked worriedly, "Sakura, what's wrong?"

"You've been acting weird for the entire day. Come on, spit out the news!!" Touya ordered impatiently.

"I-I…… I'm just……just so scared……" Sakura cried harder on her dusty sleeves.

Nadeshiko walked over to Sakura and gently gave her a motherly hug. "It's ok, dear, just tell us everything. We're your family right?"

The sound of her mother's voice eased her heart a little, but she still refused to speak. Then Fujitaka added, "Sakura, you've always been a strong and optimistic person. Let us share your worries with you."

Sakura sniffled and wiped away the tears on her face. Trying hard to stop crying, she explained, "I've just applied for a job to be a servant…"

" – Whoa, that little thing made you cry so hard??" Touya teased. Fujitaka gave Touya a stern look as a cue for him to stop because Sakura's tears appeared on her eyes again.

"What's is bothering my little girl?" Nadeshiko held Sakura like a small child.

Sakura took a deep breath, "Before dawn tomorrow, I'll be departing to China……and maybe never returning again. . . . . ."

Silence hung in the air.

Fujitaka's face was expressionless, but he smiled warmly anyway, "It's your decision, Sakura. You're old enough to make choices for your life…"

"You… you're not mad?" Sakura asked surprisingly.

"Of course not," Fujitaka replied. "Whatever you do, we will always be there to cheer you up."

Sakura was speechless, and she realized that she would never under estimate her family anymore. Touya, on the other hand continued eating, but there was occasionally grunts coming out of him. "Stupid Kaijuu, always never think before she does anything…" Sakura heard him mumbling, but she didn't say anything else for the rest of dinner.

Sitting in her own bed, Sakura curls herself up and treasure her last night she'll stay in her own room. She doesn't know what to do, but she's dying to spend more time with her family. On the other hand, she wondered what China would be like, and what kind of people would be in the Palace. But no matter what she thinks, she still can't hide the way she'll miss her family.

There were a few gentle knocks on the door, and Nadeshiko allowed herself in the room.

Sakura was surprised. "Mother! You're still very ill and weak! Why didn't you tell me to come to your room instead? You could've been really tired………oh, I feel so bad now………"

"I needed to talk……… maybe for the last time……" Her mother interrupted.

Sakura fixed her bed and moved over so there's enough room for her mother to sit beside her. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to give you some things before you leave tomorrow," She said, then handed Sakura a pocket-sized moneybag. It was dyed with light sky blue colors with a golden-red phoenix sewed perfectly in the middle, each thread sophisticatedly laced on. It was stunningly beautiful, and Sakura was speechless.

"Mother……I…… I…… I don't know what to say…… but this is beautiful!"

"This was left to me from my grandmother, and it has been with me ever since. I want you to have it, so you could remember your family every time you use it." Nadeshiko explained.

Tears formed on Sakura's eyelids again, this time it's tears of gratitude. Nadeshiko shook her head and wiped the tears off her face. "Be strong, don't cry." Her mother ordered.

Sakura immediately obeyed. Before she starts talking again, her mother interrupts, "And I want you to remember every word I tell you right now. China is very different than Japan, and you must not try to get into any situations, especially in the palace. Give everyone a good impression, and whatever you do, refer yourself as a lower class in order to avoid troubles. . ."

Sakura nodded and tried to remember every single word she said.

"One more thing," her mother added, "I've heard there was a young prince about your age named Syaoran Li. It's rumored that he's cold and heartless to other people, so be careful of him while you're in the Palace."

Sakura wonders about this prince for a minute, and she felt chills running down her spine. But she returned talking to her mother, "Thanks for the advice… you're the greatest!"

Nadeshiko nodded. "It's getting late, you should sleep now." After she finished, she exited the doors and Sakura fell into a deep sleep.

The deck was exceptionally busy today, especially at the departure station where there were many young girls and their families waving goodbye to each other. Sakura and her family just arrived, and it's only minutes till the small boat departs. Sakura turned around and started saying her last words.

"Father, remember to open the windows every morning before mother wakes up so she could get some fresh air. Touya, I won't be around anymore to help you with the firewoods, so take care. Oh, and mother, don't forget where the herbs and apricots are located in the forests, because I won't be able to pick them for you anymore…" Her tears cannot be controlled again.

"God, you didn't have to say that to make us all sad. . ." Touya teased, but he was also very sad.

Nadeshiko and Fujitaka both hugged Sakura tightly. "Take care, Sakura," They both advised.

"Job applicants!! Last call!! Boat departs soon!! Last call, job applicants!!" The same guard called audible enough for everyone in the deck to hear.

Sakura waved her final goodbye, then walked over to the entrance of the boat. She was carrying a small bag that was wrapped with old rags. Right when she entered the small boat, all the spaces were already occupied, so she had to stand.

A girl across from Sakura immediately caught her attention. She had her hair tied neatly in buns on both sides, and the remaining hung below her shoulders. She was wearing Chinese style clothing, and she looked very pretty too. Sakura suddenly had the courage to approach this girl, since she didn't want to be alone during the voyage.

"Hello! My name is Sakura. What's your name?"

The girl glared at Sakura, and immediately judged her as a filthily poor girl. She didn't look interested at Sakura, but answered anyway.

"I'm Meiling…"

Chibiwinwin: So, how was it?? It is the first chap, but it's exceptionally long!! I don't usually write chaps so long… so this is sorta weird… anyway, a reminder to everyone that this is an SS fic, and the SS part isn't coming up until the later chapters, so please come back and read when I update!! THANKS!! Oh, and don't forget to REVIEW!

Also while you're at it, please read and review my other stories…(no one minds a little advertisement…)


	3. Ch 2 The Voyage

A/n: Whoohoo!! Over 10 reviews already!! Thank you everyone who reviewed! Really appreciates it!!  
  
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Sealed in our Fate. . .  
  
Disclaimer: Haha!! I forgot the disclaimer in the previous chap!! Anyways, Cardcaptor Sakura is owned by Clamp. . .not me.  
  
Chapter 2 - The Voyage  
  
A girl across from Sakura immediately caught her attention. She had her hair tied neatly in buns on both sides, and the remaining hung below her shoulders. She was wearing Chinese style clothing, and she looked very pretty too. Sakura suddenly had the courage to approach this girl, since she doesn't want to be alone during the voyage.  
  
"Umm. . . .my name is Sakura. What's yours?"  
  
The girl glared at Sakura, and immediately thought she was a filthy poor girl. She didn't look interested at Sakura, but answered anyways. "It's Meiling. . ."  
  
"Meiling!! What a pretty name!! It's a Chinese name right? You don't sound like you're from Japan. . . . . .anyway, my name is Sakura Kinomoto! I hope we can become good friends!" Sakura squealed happily at her newfound friend, but Meiling didn't find her all that interesting.  
  
"Yeah. . .right. . ." She replied, looking out the window with boredom. The wind from the sea entered the opened window and slashed through Meiling's hair, making it look shiny and smooth.  
  
Sakura was impressed. "Wow!! Meiling-san has really pretty hair!! Unlike mine, which is filthy and dusty. . . . . . . . . could you give me some pointers on how to keep your hair so nice?"  
  
"Maybe. . ." The Chinese girl stayed uninterested and continued to focus outside at the waves.  
  
Trying as hard as she can to start a conversation, Sakura went on, "So why are you applying for this job? And why were you in Japan? I'm just so curious about you! I hope you could tell me why. . ."  
  
"Personal reasons," Meiling snapped, immediately sending Sakura away from her train of thoughts. Her face was very blank and expressionless, sighing and yawning every now and then.  
  
Sakura gave up on her, since she couldn't find a way to bring up a good conversation with Meiling. Immediately, another young girl beside her started a small chat with Sakura.  
  
"She's tough isn't she?" The girl introduced the conversation with Sakura.  
  
Sakura nodded lightly and quietly at her as a reply.  
  
The girl continued, "I've heard she was originally from China, but her family did something really wrong that the country banished them from China and sent them to Japan!"  
  
Sakura suddenly perked up with excitement. "Really?" She glanced over at Meiling, who was still wearing the bored expression on her face. 'She really doesn't look all that bad. . .' Sakura wondered in her mind.  
  
"Sigh, her family was very poor. . .they could do nothing but sell firewood in the market. . ." The girl beside Sakura granted her with more information.  
  
Curious as ever, Sakura wanted to know Meiling better. 'Selling things in the market. . .' Sakura sighed, since her fate was so alike herself's. 'I hope I will get to know her better. . .' "So do you know why she was banished from China??" Sakura curiously asked the girl beside her.  
  
The girl rubbed her chin that indicates her thinking hard. "I'm not sure, but I think it's because she cheated on prince. . ."  
  
The Chinese girl across made a loud grunt, audible enough to frighten both Sakura and the other girl beside her off their chairs. Sakura immediately pulled herself back at her own seat before someone else takes it. She looked across from her and found herself eye to eye with Meiling. Her stare was very cold, as if she was about to stab a knife at you.  
  
"Mind your own business," Meiling murmured, loud enough to send the message to both Sakura and the girl beside her as a warning.  
  
Sakura immediately squealed, "I'm sorry!! I promise I'll never mention a word about it!!" Sakura bowed her head way down low, almost hitting the ground.  
  
Meiling snarled, "You better."  
  
"I will!" She answers immediately, and sat quietly throughout the rest of the afternoon.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sky was pitch black during the middle of the evening. Nothing could be seen except for the silver colored moon and the dimly lit candles around the little boat. Sakura was still sitting quietly at her own seat, daring not to say a word after the warning she received from Meiling earlier in the afternoon.  
  
The crowded became quieter every minute, while some people snored loudly to show signs of them being asleep already. Sakura still sat quietly, wondering when she would arrive to China. "Hmmm. . . . I wonder how long this voyage would be. . .would we arrive tomorrow?? Or maybe later tonight?" Sakura whispered to herself.  
  
"We'll arrive in 2 days," Someone suddenly answered Sakura's question. Without even looking, Sakura already knew it was Meiling who answered her question.  
  
"Wow!! Meiling is very smart!! How did you know?" Sakura piped up.  
  
Meiling didn't even show efforts of answering Sakura's question. She rolled her eyes, silently laughing about Sakura's air-filled head.  
  
Sakura was puzzled at Meiling's reaction, but quickly forgot about it. But as she starts to fall asleep, she found the boat swaying exceptionally hard. At first it felt like a cradle, but now it's feeling more like a tug of war between the ocean waves and the boat. Suddenly, the boat tipped far in one direction, causing everyone else to lose their seats and fall flat on the ground, except for Meiling, who gripped herself tightly on her seat. Sakura pounded her head at the edge of her chair, which made her feel dizzier than ever.  
  
Meiling rose angrily and stormed towards the Chinese guard. "Hey, what the hell is happening around here???"  
  
Cowardly holding on to a pole, the guard responded, "There's a storm coming up!!! Probably a tidal wave or something!!!"  
  
Meiling smirked, "Useless cowards." She immediately snatched the heavy sword away from the lifeguard and effortlessly held it with perfect posture.  
  
Looking up, she saw the sails of that boat catching the storm, causing the whole boat to struggle. A grin appeared in her face as she gripped her sword tighter. "Easy job!"  
  
In less than a second, Meiling leaped off the boat, rising at least twenty feet off the ground. Her thick sword was mounted above her head in perfect position, and as she starts to descend, she gathered her strength whipped the sword downwards. The hard blade was slicing the sail in half while the girl slowly descended back down to the floor. A loud RIP caused by the sail startled all the passengers on the boat, their eyes wide opened and gazing at Meiling's strength and ability. The remains of the sail were blown away by the heavy storm and sank down the sea.  
  
The guard's jaws dropped and his eyes were burst wide open. He had under estimated Meiling's abilities, but right now he reacted with panic.  
  
"NOO!!!! What have you done, you foolish woman???? The sail!!! The sail!!!! It's ripped in half!!!!" The guard shrieked in anger.  
  
Meiling replied coldly, "Hey Hey Hey!!!!! I've just saved your damn life!! Is this the way you show your gratitude for me??"  
  
The guard thundered, "I don't care!!! You've just destroyed this boat!! You'll pay for the damage!!!"  
  
"Fine, fine. . . whatever. How much?" Meiling reacted calmly.  
  
"A hundred pounds of gold!!!!" The guard told her.  
  
Meiling became impatient. "What the? This trash boat doesn't even worth over 10 pounds of gold!!! Who the hell are to trying to kid?"  
  
"You better pay or you'll be dead!!" The guard threatened.  
  
"Why you. . . . . ." Meiling's anger had reached to the peak. She picked up the guard with both of her hands and tossed him off the boat, which resulted a large SPLASH of water. Everyone was terrified at Meiling's cruelty, but some of them were actually glad.  
  
The guard splashed in water, dying for a breath of air. "Help!!" he yelped.  
  
Meiling ignored.  
  
Sakura couldn't stand seeing anyone in pain, even if the guard who rude and cruel. She would've jumped down to save him, but the other girls stopped her. With no other choice, Sakura approached Meiling.  
  
"Umm. . . . Meiling, could you please save him?" She politely asked.  
  
Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Why should I?"  
  
"Well, I know he was a rat, but he would die if you won't save him. Could you please, Meiling?" Sakura convinced.  
  
Meiling turned away, avoiding eye contact with her.  
  
Sakura continued begging, "Please, Meiling. Do it for my sake."  
  
Still, Meiling remained uninterested.  
  
Sakura had no choice, yet her heart is still uncomfortable seeing the guard so painful. She shut her eyes tightly and held her breath. "Here goes nothing. . ." Without a minute to spare, Sakura jumped off the boat to rescue the guard.  
  
Finally, Meiling's attention was captured. "God, stupid girl!!!"  
  
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Chibiwinwin: Sigh, I have my midterm exams coming up, so I'll be busy during these few weeks. . .but hope you enjoyed this chapter!!  
  
(Reminder again!!!! This is an S+S fic, so remember to come back for my next update!!!) 


	4. Ch 3 First Arrival First Impression

A/n: OMG!!! Were my tenses really that bad?? LOL, I should've listened to Adesso e Fortuna earlier. . .but thanks for everyone else who told me so. . .i'll try to correct my grammatical errors as good as I can.. . . . but I'm not so good at Language Arts, so. . . . yeah, I'll try my best.  
  
And thanks for all reviews!!! Here I dedicate this chapter to all my dear readers!!  
  
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Sealed in our Fate . . .  
  
Chapter 3 - First Arrival, First Impression  
  
Sakura had no choice, yet her heart is still uncomfortable seeing the guard so painful. She shut her eyes tightly and held her breath. "Here goes nothing. . ." Without a minute to spare, Sakura jumped off the boat to rescue the guard.  
  
Finally, Meiling's attention was captured. "God, stupid girl!!!"  
  
SPLASH!! Meiling dives into the icy cold sea to rescue Sakura and the pathetic guard. At first, she could easily swim her way to Sakura, but a sudden hit of a gigantic wave flushes Meiling about thirty feet away.  
  
"Meiling!!!" Sakura screams while clutching the guard tightly with one of her arms.  
  
"(gurgle gurgle) Uuugghh!!!" Meiling grunts while she viscously tries to win the battle between the storm. Flushing farther and farther away, Meiling still persistently swims through the turbulent waves.  
  
"Hang in there, Meiling!!" Sakura screams the message to her. Before she rescues her, she pulls the guard up by the boat and pushes him up with all her strength. With the help of all other girls on the boat, the task was easily done.  
  
Sakura turns around and see Meiling drifting further away. "Meiling! I'm coming! Hang on!!"  
  
Sakura dives underwater and starts swimming her way through the waves. Meiling from far away could see Sakura coming, and she feels relieve since she doesn't have to struggle in water again. Even from a far view, she could see Sakura swimming to her direction at super speed, which impresses her.  
  
In less than a minute, Sakura finally reaches near Meiling. "Here, put your hands on my shoulder and hold on tight!!" Sakura quickly shouts the instructions to Meiling, and she follows.  
  
Trying her hardest to avoid the waves, Sakura swims through the water as fast as she can before another wave drowns them to the other direction. Meiling grips her hand tightly on Sakura's shoulder, not daring to open her eyes to see the dangerous situation she's in right now. But Sakura's stability, even while she's swimming, made Meiling feel safer than she was alone.  
  
'Wow, she's better than I thought. . .' Meiling thought in her mind, since she had underestimated Sakura earlier in the day.  
  
Pretty soon, Sakura finally swam back to the boat and got on safely with Meiling.  
  
Meiling, who's wheezing through the salty air, turned to Sakura, "Wow!!! (puff puff) You were really good when we're down there!! How did you learn to swim so good?"  
  
Sakura blushes, and replies, "I wasn't really that great. . .I just love swimming! And I get my practice from the lake behind my home every morning before I go to the market."  
  
Sakura offers Meiling a dry towel since she's soaking wet. Meiling hesitates, but accepts. "Thank you. . ."  
  
There were a few minutes of silence between Sakura and Meiling, while sounds of people talking was heard occasionally. Meiling starts to realize Sakura was not as bad as she thought, and decides to apologize.  
  
"I'm sorry for being so rude to you earlier today. . . it's just my way of being cautious of who I meet. . ." Meiling bows her head as a sign of apology.  
  
Sakura panicked. "No!! You don't have to be sorry!! I was just being annoying this morning and I annoyed you! I'm the one who's suppose to apologize!"  
  
Meiling was surprised by her reply, and somewhat humored as well. The side of her mouth twitched, which showed the first sign of her smile. She had made a new friend.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next few days followed quickly, and finally the shore could be seen. The afternoon sun was exceptionally bright today, reflecting its rays of the clear sea that causes a blinding flash. All the girls from the boat gathered outside to see their close landing, since they had spent a patient three-day trip on this stuffy boat. Everyone was excited for their arrival, especially Sakura, since she was always over enthusiastic on certain things.  
  
"Wow!! We're almost there!! Yay!! Finally, I can get a job and make enough money to cure my mother's disease!!" Sakura squealed in excitement. "Hey Meiling, could you tell me what China is like?"  
  
Meiling glared angrily at the land that's coming closer to them, and seems like she to ignored Sakura's question.  
  
"Meiling? Are you alright? Meiling?" Sakura asked, and a concerned look appeared on her face.  
  
Snapping back to reality, Meiling answers, "Oh, I'm sorry Sakura. What did you ask?"  
  
"I was just wondering what China is like. . . . since you're Chinese, I thought you would know." Sakura asked again.  
  
"Well. . . . what can I say. . . . it's really quite similar to Japan. It's just the language and the location that's different." She briefly answers, but she's still glaring at the shore, which is floating closer and closer.  
  
Leaving Sakura blank and confused, they continued to wait patiently until they touch the land.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Go single file!! One by one!! Don't go out of your order!!" The guard yells the instructions to all the girls.  
  
Sakura, followed by Meiling, lined up as they were told, and stepped out of the boat. As soon as they touched the ground, Sakura immediately jumped around to show her joy. "Yay!! I finally made it to China!! Yay!!"  
  
Meiling sweat dropped, and couldn't help but laugh at Sakura's childishness. "We better hurry and line up at the registration area before everyone else gets there!"  
  
"Ok! Let's hurry then!" Sakura replied brightly and ran over to the registration desk. She dragged Meiling with her and grasped her hand so tight that it almost bruised it.  
  
"Hey, Sakura! Calm down!" Meiling called, but it was useless. Sakura was too excited to be calm.  
  
Dashing as fast as lightning, Sakura and Meiling arrived in the registration area in no time, which they turned out to be the people in line.  
  
"Name?" The chubby-looking guard that's sitting in the booth asked.  
  
"Sakura Kinomoto and Meiling Li!" Sakura immediately replied.  
  
The chubby guard skimmed through the document with his chubby fingers, and found Sakura and Meiling's names.  
  
"Ok. . .your age?"  
  
"We're both 16!" Sakura quickly answered again. Meiling just stood speechless behind Sakura, since she had nothing to say anyway.  
  
"Mmmm. . . . .your information matches. Report to the front gate of the palace two days from today. Further instructions will be given then. . . . . Next!" The guard concluded his words.  
  
Sakura's excitement disappeared suddenly while Meiling dragged her away from the long line-up. "Hey, where did all your energy go?" Meiling asked after.  
  
"I thought I could see the palace right away. But now I have to wait for two days later. . ." Sakura frowned.  
  
"God, Sakura. China is not as good as you think it is. . ." Meiling started.  
  
"What? Why??" Sakura piped up.  
  
Meiling immediately ended her topic. "Uhh. . . never mind. You'll find out for yourself two days later."  
  
Sakura was confused. "Ok. . . I guess. . ."  
  
Sakura and Meiling decided to walk around and find a suitable place for themselves to stay for two nights. While they're walking down the busy market, a Japanese restaurant located at the corner suddenly attracts Sakura's attention. She turns to Meiling, "Hey! Why don't we have lunch at that restaurant over there!"  
  
Meiling shrugged, "I don't care. . ." Sakura didn't let Meiling finish as she immediately pull Meiling through the entrance of the restaurant.  
  
"Welcome, young ladies. Please take a seat!" A young man came over and guides them over to an empty table. Sakura and Meiling seated themselves comfortably while and other person came to their table.  
  
"May I please take your orders?" An old lady wearing a kimono asked politely.  
  
"A dish of onigiri please!" Sakura cheerfully ordered. The old woman bowed her head then disappeared inside the kitchen.  
  
"I guess you must have missed Japan already," Meiling commented.  
  
Sakura hate to admit it, but it was true. She's homesick already after only three days. "Yeah. . .I guess so. . . . . I wonder how everyone is doing, especially mother. . ."  
  
Meiling sighed, "I bet they must be fine right now. If I was your mother, I would be really proud of you."  
  
Sakura showed a smile on her face. "Thank you, Meiling. You're a really great friend!!"  
  
Meiling felt warmth in her heart. 'Sakura Kinomoto. . . . . she's the first one to be so nice to me. I thought I'd never have another friend after what I've done. . . . . .'  
  
"Coming, a bowl of onigiri!!" The same old woman who took their orders came to their table and dropped off the bowl of food.  
  
"Yay!! I'm so hungry!" Sakura dived into the bowl and picked out a big, round piece of riceball. "Oishi!!!" She cried in delight as she took a big bite.  
  
Meiling smiled, and also grabbed a rice ball for herself. But suddenly, she was distracted by a loud riot at the entrance.  
  
Entering the restaurant was a tall, young man with chestnut colored hair and dark brown eyes. Beside him were two other tall and muscular men, who acted like a bodyguard. The chestnut-colored-hair young man barged in and started yelling at the owner of the restaurant. "Hey!! I've came all the way here to eat, and you're telling me that there's no table that's free??? I won't tolerate this stupid act!!"  
  
The restaurant owner was a short and weak little man, and obviously he was startled by young man's loud scream. "I. . .I'm. . . . s-sorry. . . .s- sir. . . . but y-you'll h-have to w-wait for the n-next table. . . ."  
  
"WHAT!!!! NEVER!!! NEVER DOES ANYONE GIVE ME ORDERS!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND??" The young man screamed louder.  
  
His voice was so loud that it caught everyone's attention, and it caused the short little restaurant owner to collapse on the floor with fear.  
  
The young man walked over him and chuckled, "Useless peasants. . ." He walked across the restaurant, and eventually came across Sakura and Meiling's table.  
  
"Hmmm. . . I like this table. . . . MOVE!!" The young man ordered Sakura and Meiling.  
  
"Hey!! We were here first! Go and wait for the next table!!" Sakura courageously argued with him, which startled the young man as well.  
  
"Do you have any idea who you're talking to??" The young man raised an eyebrow and glared at Sakura.  
  
"I don't give a damn about who you are!" Sakura yelled back at him right in his face.  
  
The young man was angered by Sakura's remark, and his hand formed into a fist. "Why you. . ."  
  
Meiling immediately pulled Sakura out of the scene, and she interrupted. "Excuse me, but we have to go now. Here, take this table if you want. . ." Without letting him reply, Meiling had already grabbed Sakura's hand and raced out of the restaurant.  
  
Then ran and ran and ran, until they hit a dead end, they finally stopped. "(Puff Puff) Why did you drag me out?? I was going to teach that guy a lesson!" Sakura demanded an answer from Meiling.  
  
Meiling took a long, deep breath, and replied, "You don't want to mess with him. . ."  
  
"But why though?? I though you were strong enough to take them on!" Sakura argued.  
  
"Just trust me, don't do anything stupid. . ." Meiling warned, and her eye narrowed. "He's more than what he seems to be like. . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chibiwinwin: WAAAHHH!!!! So sad. . . did so bad on my midterm exams. . . . . . especially my English one!!! *runs to the corner and sobs* Sigh, anyways, how did you like this chap? It took me a while to think. . .(Oh, no!! Writer's block!!! AAH) owell, please review! ^_^ And before you go, please visit my website that's created by me and my friends!! (( And if you want to, please tell me if you want to submit your fanfics there!! I'd be happy to post them up!! ARIGATOU!!! 


	5. Ch 4 Entering the New World

A/n: I'm VERY sorry for the lack of updates on this fic. It's probably because I've been dropping in school and I couldn't find much time to do updates anymore. But I'm still trying my best ^_^ !! And thank you VERY much for those who waited patiently!! I give all my dedications to you guys who actually take time to read my fics!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sealed in our Fate . . .  
  
Chapter 4 - Entering the New World  
  
Meiling took a long, deep breath, and replied, "You don't want to mess with him. . ."  
  
"But why though?? I though you were strong enough to take them on!" Sakura argued.  
  
"Just trust me, don't do anything stupid. . ." Meiling warned, and her eye narrowed. "He's more than what he seems to be like. . ."  
  
------Two days later------  
  
Meiling and Sakura arrived to the front doors of the palace, like all the other young girls did. The area was more crowded than ever, especially when there are other people who came just to watch what's happening. Everyone waited impatiently for the guard to open the doors, since most of the people are anxious to see what the palace is like. Sakura's feet were trembling really badly, and even Meiling can feel her nervousness.  
  
"Sakura, calm down before you kill yourself! I thought an earthquake was starting until I realized it was your feet that's thundering with fear!" Meiling told her.  
  
Sakura was still very nervous, "I'm sorry, Meiling. I just can't control myself when I know for a fact that I was going to see the royal family! I just wish I could do something. . ."  
  
"It's not as exciting as what you're thinking right now," Meiling explained. "You probably won't even be able to see anyone royal even when you're under the same roof with them. Don't forget, we're just servants, not high classed nobilities."  
  
Merlin's words didn't help that much, which instead sent them both into silence for the next ten minutes.  
  
Pretty soon, the same chubby looking guard from the other day appeared from the long front gates of the palace. The short little guy tried to scream through the crowd with his squeaky voice for attention, but no one seemed to listen. Sakura and Meiling couldn't control themselves from chuckling at the dinky looking guy.  
  
"Silence please. . ." The chubby guard ordered with his barely audible voice. Miraculously, most of the people focused their attention to him.  
  
"Please answer when I call your name for attendance!" The guard instructed the crowd. ("Makoto Adachi!!")  
  
Sakura and Meiling, sighed, since they have to wait for the guard to go through the big fat list of people that's currently present in the jumble of people.  
  
"Ahh!! I'm going to die from nervousness!" Sakura wailed.  
  
("Reiko Chiba!!" The guard continued reciting his list.)  
  
"Heh, I wouldn't blame you. You look like you have never seen the world before!" Meiling teased Sakura.  
  
Sakura smiled, "Yeah, I've never been anywhere outside of the small town I lived in Japan."  
  
("Aya Fukami!!")  
  
"So, Meiling, what do you think of the palace?" Sakura asked curiously.  
  
Meiling hesitated for a moment. ("Hinako Hara!!") "The palace. . . . . . . it's ok. . . . . . . . I guess"  
  
Sakura was puzzled. "You've been to the palace before?"  
  
"Not exactly. . . . . . I've only heard stories about it." Meiling replied.  
  
("Keiko Honda!!")  
  
"Wow!! Can you tell me about the stories?" Sakura asked again.  
  
"Hmmm. . . Let me think. . . . there are lots of rumors about the ice prince." Meiling started.  
  
"Ice prince?" Sakura questioned.  
  
("Chiko Iwao!!)  
  
"Yes, the ice prince. His whole name is Li Syaoran, but because of his temper and cold personality, he earned the rumored nickname as the ice prince. He is, of course, the only heir of the throne to be the future emperor of China and this day isn't trailing far since the previous emperor passed away a few years ago." Meiling explained. Sakura showed a lot of interest on the story.  
  
("Mina Kamiya!!")  
  
"The ice prince was very well trained in all aspects of life, especially in martial arts. His skills exceed many others, as well as his intelligence surpasses other members of the royal family. I've heard that he never gets along with anyone. . . . . . absolutely no one could understand him. Because of his weird temper, countless servants have tried escaping the palace, and the results of it was horrific. . ." Merlin's tone became more serious.  
  
Sakura's head was suddenly exploded with could sweat and her face became pale. 'Ice prince. . . . . . . is he really like the way people think he is?'  
  
"Sakura Kinomoto!!" The guard shouted across the crowd for attendance. Sakura didn't hear the guard because her mind was terrified by the thought of the ice prince.  
  
"Sakura Kinomoto? Are you present?" The guard repeated her name. Sakura still didn't hear him. Meiling, who was standing beside her, nudged her ribs and to signal her. Sakura, finally jumping back to reality, answered immediately, "I'm present!!"  
  
The short and chubby guard sent at cold stare at Sakura, then looked away to call out the next name. Sakura sighed deeply to relieve herself from her deep thoughts.  
  
Meiling patted Sakura on her back, "I'm sorry for scaring you. The stories about the ice prince are just rumors, so don't take everything so seriously if it bugs you." She rubbed her back to and tried to comfort Sakura.  
  
"Thank you. . ." Sakura smiled.  
  
"Meiling Li!" The guard shouted her name.  
  
Meiling raised her hand and yelled, "Present!" After their names were called, they waited patiently for the guard to finish the attendance. It didn't take him very long, and soon the next set of instructions was given out.  
  
"When you hear your names, please follow me inside the palace. I will lead you to the location where you will start work." The chubby guard gave the directions. "The first group is Sakura Kinomoto, Meiling Li, Mina Kamiya, Keiko Honda, and Chiko Iwao!!" Sakura, Meiling, and the rest of the girls whose names were called immediately reported in front of the guard.  
  
"Come with me," the chubby guard instructed as he opened the front gate of the palace.  
  
Sakura's feet were trembling very heavily. She felt her heart beating faster and her whole body starts to shiver when the thought of the prince came to her mind. Meiling noticed her, again, and tried calming her down. "Sakura, like I said before, there is a slim chance that we'll ever see any royalty because the palace is such a huge place. Just act normal and you'll be fine!"  
  
"I'll try. . ." Sakura bit her nails as the small group entered the palace.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sakura felt like she has been walking forever in an endless maze. Like she always thought, the palace was like a dream. She passed by countless numbers of flower gardens with countless variety of flowers. The view was absolutely gorgeous, especially the cherry blossom field where rows of cherry blossoms were planted beside the sidewalk. Another flower garden that amazed Sakura was the one filled with blooming peonies, all planted in one large garden. In the middle of the garden was a small and attractive gazebo plus a mini fountain on the other side of the field to catch attention. The garden seemed more than a dream to Sakura, more like heaven.  
  
They passed a few more bridges, another garden, inside a large arch, and finally they arrived to their destination, which was a small cottage inside one of the flower gardens. "God," Meiling said in an annoyed expression, "at this rate I thought we wouldn't arrive until next month!"  
  
Sakura also found herself exhausted from the long walk and wiped the sweat off her forehead. The rest of the group gathered around the guard and waited for further instructions.  
  
Finally, the guard started his next set of instructions, "Everyone, please let me introduce you to your personal instructors." When he finished, another group of people entered the cottage. They wore very sophisticated clothes, as if they were very rich peoples. Sakura especially noticed one man from the sophisticated group and stared at him. He also noticed Sakura, and returned a smile back to her. Meiling, on the other hand, snorted and waited impatiently.  
  
The guard went and assigned the other girls their instructors while Sakura and Meiling waited. It seems like the day was dragging on forever every time they had to wait. Sakura kept looking at the sophisticated man over at the other side of the room, feeling that she knew him from very long time ago. The man had navy blue hair and shining blue eyes that seemed to give Sakura a very warm and welcome feeling. Again, he shot another smile at Sakura.  
  
Finally, the guard went up to Sakura and Meiling. "You two ladies are assigned to those two instructors over there. They will be your guide for the rest of your days in the palace, so ask them any questions when you need to."  
  
Sakura immediately noticed that her instructor was the same blue haired man that she was attracted to in the beginning. She walked up to him and bowed her head down as a traditional Japanese greeting. "My name is Sakura Kinomoto. Nice to meet you, sir."  
  
The man smiled back at her, "Hmm. . . Sakura. . . . what a beautiful name for a beautiful person like you!" Sakura blushed slightly when she heard that. The man chuckled, and introduced himself. "My name is Eriol Hiiragizawa, and I'm glad that I can be your instructor! I'm in charge of the peony and cherry blossom fields in this palace, and you might as well follow what I teach you to do in order to work successfully in here."  
  
Sakura examined his eyes and his tone when he talks. The warmth feeling that he sent to Sakura felt very tender, as though it was like a smile from a very close friend. Just by the first impression, Sakura admired him already.  
  
Sakura gulped, then asked "Ummm. . . . . . sir? When should I start work. . ."  
  
"Just call me Eriol!" He interrupted. "It's not like I'm an officer or anything so I'm not a 'sir'. And besides, we are both servants so we can call each other by names!"  
  
Sakura was surprised. "You're. . . . also a. . . . servant?" Sakura thought he was one of the high-class noblemen, judging the clothes they wore.  
  
"Yes," Eriol answered. "All of us instructors are first class servants, so that's why we are treated with higher respect because our status is higher. You, on the other hand, are fifth class servants because you've just started work. But don't worry, your rank will go higher if you work hard."  
  
Sakura nodded politely, even though she didn't understand any of it. "So what can I do?" She asked.  
  
"Oh, follow me to the cherry blossom field! It's the closest one here." He told her. Sakura followed him tightly as if she will get lost if she didn't. Again, they circled through many other gardens, bridges, fountains, and arches before arriving to the previous cherry blossom field that Sakura saw earlier.  
  
Even though it was the second time she saw it, the view was still breath taking. "Wow," Sakura said, "I've never seen so much cherry blossoms in my life!"  
  
Eriol chuckled at Sakura's amusement. "This garden is owned by prince Syaoran. When he was little, he visited Japan and fell in love with the cherry blossoms there. The minute he returned to the palace, he ordered us to grow a cherry blossom field similar to the ones in Japan, except ten times larger."  
  
When Sakura heard the name 'Syaoran', she felt a chill running down her spine. But, she was also amused by the fact that the ice prince actually appreciates nature.  
  
Eriol gave Sakura a tour around the garden while explaining to her what to do. Sakura's focus was dragged on to the scenario, completely omitting Eriol's words. Everywhere she looked was filled with blooming pink petals, some occasionally blown onto her face but it's delicacy only tickled as they walked by. She also noticed there were many servants watering the trees, many of them are probably in a higher class than Sakura was.  
  
The two of them continued walking through the garden as Eriol introduced Sakura to every other person who's present. Suddenly, a tall woman with long, black hair caught everyone's attention. When Eriol saw the tall woman, he immediately bowed his head deeply, and as Sakura noticed, the other servants are already on their knees, bowing. Sakura, air-headed as ever, didn't know what to do and blurted out, "Good afternoon! My name is Sakura Kinomoto! Nice to meet you!"  
  
The tall woman caught Sakura in the corner of her eyes as she gracefully turned her head and looked eye to eye with her. She was at least two full heads taller than Sakura, so she tipped her head down to get a better look at Sakura.  
  
"And, who are you, young lady?" She questioned with a very strict voice.  
  
Eriol, who was somewhat trembling, immediately answered for Sakura, "Your majesty, please forgive her rudeness, but she is a new servant that just reported today. Her name is Sakura Kinomoto."  
  
The tall woman looked at Sakura seriously, then asked. "What was your name again Saku-what?"  
  
"Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto." She answered confidently.  
  
"Hmm. . .those Japanese names are so hard to pronounce. Is it Saku-ra? Sakura. . . . . . . cherry blossoms that bloom in the spring. . . . what a beautiful name." The tall woman stated.  
  
"Thank you. . ." Sakura blushed.  
  
The tall woman broke her seriousness into a small laugh. "You're such a sweet girl. Your instructor is Eriol, right? Since there are so many servants in the cherry blossom field, you can go work on the peony field with Eriol. I hope you'll do a good job on it." After that said, she walked away sophisticatedly. Everyone else got back up and started working again.  
  
Sakura turned to Eriol and asked. "She's such a nice person. Who is she?"  
  
Eriol literally choked when he heard Sakura's question. "Sakura, you really didn't know? She's Yelan Li, the Empress of China!"  
  
Sakura stood like she was stunned. "Eh. . . . eh. . .Empress?!? HHHOOEEE!!!! I must've insulted her highness, how could I be so rude in front of her?? What will I do? Will I be hanged?"  
  
Eriol couldn't help laughing. "No, Sakura. You'll be fine. She's very nice and considerate, so there's nothing to worry about. Us being servants don't have to worry because she never harms any of us." After his explanation, Sakura sighed in relief.  
  
"Well, since there's nothing for you to work on in here, let's go to the peony garden." Eriol suggested. Sakura agreed then followed him to the peony garden.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Through another round of gardens, bridges, fountains, and arches, they finally found themselves in the peony garden. The beautiful beds of peonies, all lined up in straight and neat rows, again, amazed Sakura. She felt like she was back at her little flower garden behind her house in Japan. The peonies were as though they were exactly the same as the ones she sold everyday in the market. Slowly, the memory of her home seems to come back into her mind, especially the memories of her family. 'I wonder how they're doing right now. . .' She thought, and sighed deeply.  
  
Sakura became so carried away with her thoughts that she suddenly bumped into someone, causing both herself and somebody to fall flat on their bottoms. Eriol immediately ran to Sakura and asked, "Are you ok?" But when Eriol saw the person across, his eyes widened and bowed his head low again.  
  
Sakura shook her head so clear up her mind. "Ouch. . . . sorry for bumping into you. . ." She apologized. She lifted her head up to see who she bumped into, and immediately her eyes widened as well. 'Chestnut colored hair, amber eyes. . . . . .' Sakura's heartbeat suddenly sped up. "Could he be. . . . . . . the ice prince?"  
  
"Uh. . . ." the prince murmured. "Who the hell are you? You blind or something?" He shook his head vigorously to clear his mind, and there he looked directly into Sakura's eyes. "Hmm. . . . . . . . . . . you look awfully familiar for some reason. . ."  
  
Sakura broke into sweat. 'Oh no! What if he recognizes me from the market a few days ago? What will I do?'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chibiwinwin: Yay!! Finally finished this chapter!! I didn't have time to edit it because I want to upload this chap as soon as possible. . . but please review!! (yes, I know I have bad grammar so please don't flame.)  
  
Please visit me and my friend's site at and sign my guestbook!! Also this is really IMPORTANT! I need lots of fanfiction submissions, because our site is looking really empty right now!! If you would like to submit a fanfiction, just email me!! And join the message board too! and we can talk there!! Ja Ne!! 


	6. Ch 5 Settlements

A/n: *Jumps up and down* Thanks for the reviews everyone!! I'm glad you all liked my story!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sealed in our Fate . . .  
  
Chapter 5 - Settlements  
  
"Uh. . . ." the prince murmured. "Who the hell are you? You blind or something?" He shook his head vigorously to clear his mind, and there he looked directly into Sakura's eyes. "Hmm. . . . . . . . . . . you look awfully familiar for some reason. . ."  
  
Sakura broke into sweat. 'Oh no! What if he recognizes me from the market a few days ago? What will I do?'  
  
"Hey, have I seen you from somewhere?" He questioned Sakura.  
  
Sakura bowed her head as low as possible, trying her hardest to avoid his face. "Ah. . . no, sir. I've never seen you before, sir. Please forgive me!" Sakura's knees are trembling like crazy as she kneeled low. 'Please, god, don't let him remember me, or else I'll be doomed!'  
  
"Hmm. . . .you still look very familiar to me. . . and don't call me sir! Don't you know how to greet the members of the royal family? Just by this rule, I could get you beheaded in a snap of my finger!" The prince threatened.  
  
This frightened Sakura even more, making her bow even lower. "I'm sorry, your highness! I didn't know you were. . . . . um. . . . uh. . . . ."  
  
"We're very sorry, Prince Syaoran," Eriol interrupted Sakura. He specifically emphasized the word 'prince Syaoran' to give Sakura a small cue.  
  
'This is not good. . . . . . he really is prince Syaoran, the one known as the Ice Prince.' Sakura broke into more sweat when the thought hit her head. 'How I can I be so careless by insulting the prince? What should I do?'  
  
"Who are you?" Prince Syaoran asked in a demanding tone.  
  
"Sa. . . Sakura. . ." she answered, her voice sounding shaken.  
  
"I don't give a damn about what your name is. Tell me your position and why you're in my private garden!" Prince Syaoran shouted at her.  
  
"Um," Eriol attempted to cut in again. "Sakura is a newly hired fifth- class servant, specialized to take care of your peony garden. She grew up as a flower merchant, and she's really experienced with flower keeping. . ."  
  
"Whatever. . ." Prince Syaoran shot back at Eriol, then turned to Sakura. "Show me your face."  
  
Sakura remained frozen or a minute. 'Should I show him my face? I know I'll be dead if he recognizes my face! How am I going to get out of this?' She looked at Eriol at the corner of her eyes. 'Oh, Eriol! Please, do something to help me!' But Eriol just gave Sakura a blank look, signaling that there's nothing he could do.  
  
"I said, show me your face!!" Prince Syaoran fired back at Sakura. His voice shocked Sakura, causing her head to jolt up perfectly in front of Prince Syaoran. Her emerald eyes pierced into his amber ones as this moment seemed to last a very long time. Sakura's heart was beating fast while unpleasant thoughts ran through her head. 'This is the end! He must have recognized me for sure by now! Hoe!!!!!!'  
  
"Bah, probably just a normal peasant. . ." the prince snorted. "Whoever you are, don't you ever try bumping into me again, or else you shall suffer the consequences."  
  
Sakura thought she was going to drop dead after she heard this. The prince got up on his feet, rubbed dust off his shirt, then walked away. Sakura sighed heavily, thinking how lucky she must've been to get out of this.  
  
Eriol came over and picked Sakura up onto her feet. "You better be careful when you're around this garden. Prince Syaoran is much crueler than Empress Yelan, the woman you saw earlier."  
  
She fixed her shirt after standing up then said, "Thank you for cautioning me, Eriol. I promise I'll be more careful from now on. Is there anything I can do?"  
  
Eriol glanced around. "Hmm. . ." he replied, "since the garden is still in good shape, I'll let you rest for the rest of the day. Here, I'll show you to the servant's house."  
  
"Hai!" Sakura answered cheerfully then followed Eriol.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Here we are," Eriol announced. "This will be your home in the palace."  
  
Sakura gazed at the towering building, at least ten stories high. The walls were decorated with crimson red paint, stacked with forest green tiles as the rooftop. The building was in the shape of a spiral, each floor has it's own balcony attached with a room. To Sakura, this looked more like the home of the royal family rather than a servant's house. Her mouth remained wide open by the spectacular structure in front of her eyes.  
  
Eriol smiled lightly, and grabbed Sakura's arms. "Come on in. There's no need to stay outside of so long. I'll show you the way to your new room."  
  
"But," Sakura blurted out, "this is so big. . .why is the servant's house so big?"  
  
Eriol chuckled, "This is considered as one of the smallest structure in the palace! The royal home is about fifty times bigger than this. . .even the pet house is about the same size as the servant's house."  
  
Sakura's eyes started spiraling with dizziness. "Fifty times bigger. . ." she repeated to herself. "HOOEEE!!! The palace is so unbelievable!"  
  
Again, Eriol laughed, "Hurry and come in, before you catch a cold out here. Your room is on the second floor. . . I'll guide you there!"  
  
"Hai," she replied. "What about your room, Eriol? Is your room close to mine?"  
  
"Not at all," he answered. Eriol pointed up to the roof. "My room is on the highest floor of this building. The higher the rank you are, the higher your room is. I'm ranked as a first class servant, therefore I get a room in the highest floor."  
  
Sakura's jaws dropped with amazement. "Wow, Eriol! You must've worked hard to serve the royal family!"  
  
"Hehe, not really. . .my status is just gained by the generations of work my family has contributed to the palace. In fact, sometimes I'm treated as one of the noblemen by Empress Yelan, so the first class servants actually have lots of rights around here." Eriol explained. "Now stop questioning or else we'll never get to your room at this rate!"  
  
"Ok!" Sakura replied cheerfully as she followed Eriol once again. They walked up a flight of spiraling staircase, walked around a few rooms, then opened one door labeled '26 - SK'.  
  
"This is your room, Sakura. We have already imprinted your initials on the label, so people will know your room. Just remember your room number, and you'll be able to adapt here in no time!"  
  
Sakura noticed her room looked very elegant with a small bed in the corner, covered with clean sheets. In the middle of the room was suspended with a tiny little table, while the other corner lies a tall closet. The room looked no bigger than her own in Japan, but this was the reason why Sakura immediately liked her new room.  
  
"Here, I'll let you rest here while I have some errands to run. Just remember to wake up on time tomorrow morning and start working! Good night, Sakura!" Eriol said.  
  
"Bye!" Sakura waved as watched him leave the room. She flopped herself onto her bed, feeling the soft cotton sheets while staring straight up onto the roof. 'Finally, I get to work at a good place. I wonder how mother and father is doing. . .and if Touya is working fine. . .' She sighed heavily, picturing the memories of her family.  
  
When she was about to fall asleep, she was distracted by the voices in the neighboring room. Sakura tiptoed towards the wall and listened closely to what's happening next door. She snuck her ears closer to the wall and heard a feminine voice ringing loudly.  
  
"What kind of room is this? I thought the palace is suppose to be huge!" the feminine voice complained.  
  
Sakura found the voice very familiar. 'Meiling!!' she remembered and realized that she haven't heard from her since they parted in the waiting room. 'Wow, her room is right beside mine!'  
  
"I'm sorry, but this is the only room for you.," a masculine voice argued with Meiling. "All the rooms of the other servants are the same size as this one."  
  
Sakura can hear Meiling grunt. "God, some palace," Meiling murmured.  
  
"Please rest here for tonight and report to work tomorrow," the masculine voice instructed, then he left the room.  
  
After she heard the guy left, Sakura immediately ran to the door beside her room and knocked. "Meiling!! Hey Meiling! It's Sakura!"  
  
"Coming. . ." Meiling answered, her voice didn't sound excited at all. "Hey Sakura, how's everything for you?" She opened the door and led Sakura into her room.  
  
"Everything is fine for me, thank you!" Sakura cheerfully replied. "I've also met a very nice instructor! His name is Eriol! I'm in charge of the peony gardens in the palace! How about you, Meiling?"  
  
"I'd rather you not mention me," Meiling sighed. "I got assigned to this guy named Takashi Yamazaki. God, he never stops talking!! That's why I was so grouchy to him all day."  
  
"oh," Sakura muttered quietly. She didn't seem to show much attention towards Meiling.  
  
"Sakura," Meiling asked. "Why are you so gloomy?"  
  
"I've been doing so much dumb things today," Sakura explained, "like bumping into the Empress and the Prince."  
  
Meiling widened her eyes. "Y-you met the Empress and the Prince right on your first day??" When Sakura nodded, Meiling felt as if she was going to faint. "Gosh, Sakura, you are really lucky to see them on the first day. Some who worked for as long as 50 years might not even get a peek at them!!"  
  
"Oh, really. . ." Sakura didn't sound as excited as Meiling was. "But today I came upon both of them, and I don't think they like me that much. . ."  
  
"Don't worry!" Meiling advised. "They probably had forgotten your face anyway! Just go to sleep peacefully tonight so you're ready for tomorrow's big day!"  
  
"Big day?" Sakura wondered. "What big day?"  
  
Meiling stared back at Sakura. "You mean your instructor didn't tell you anything about the big event coming up? What have you been doing for the last 3 hours?"  
  
"Please, Meiling, just tell me what it is!" Sakura wailed impatiently.  
  
"Ok, fine," She replied. "I've heard that Prince Syaoran and the Empress are making a trip to western China so they can meet their rivaling empire and try to become friends with each other. It has been rumored that the prince was actually going there to meet the western princess and marry her!!"  
  
Sakura found this very interesting. "What does this have to do with tomorrow?"  
  
"Oh, It's nothing really. . . it's just that everyone in the palace tomorrow is suppose be preparing everything for the trip."  
  
"I see," Sakura said. The image of the Ice Prince suddenly appeared in her mind. There was no way that Sakura could imagine him in love with someone with his cold temper, but Sakura was curious about this whole trip overall.  
  
"You have anymore questions?" Meiling questioned. "Because I'm dying to get some sleep now, and if you don't mind, I'm going to kick you out now."  
  
Sakura smiled slightly back at Meiling. "Sure, perhaps I'll need some rest too. Good night, Meiling."  
  
"Good night, Sakura," Meiling said back, then both girls went back to their rooms and slept for the night.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chibiwinwin: Really sorry if it was a short chap, but this is all that came out of me so far. I was wondering, since my updating speed is so slow, does anyone want me to email you when I update? You don't have to if you don't want to, but I guess it makes it easier for everyone to check my story only when I email you. Well, tell me on the review if you want to!! Arigatou, minna-san!!  
  
~e made by me and my friends!! Anime based! ~magicaltrio.proboards4.com - this is my message board!! Join and we can chat!! (hehe) 


	7. Ch 6 Early Arrangements

A/n: WOWEES!! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!! You guys really made my day, and I'm really glad that you guys liked my story. Again, I dedicate this chapter to all my readers!! But don't forget to review before you leave!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sealed in our Fate . . .  
  
"You have anymore questions?" Meiling questioned. "Because I'm dying to get some sleep now, and if you don't mind, I'm going to kick you out now."  
  
Sakura smiled slightly back at Meiling. "Sure, perhaps I'll need some rest too. Good night, Meiling."  
  
"Good night, Sakura," Meiling said back, then both girls went back to their rooms and slept for the night.  
  
Chapter 6 - Early Arrangements  
  
The next morning, Sakura was awakened by the brightness of the morning sun that peered through her eyes, illuminating the entire room. Sakura jumped out of her bed excitedly as she looked out the window to catch a view of the rising sun.  
  
"Good morning . . ." She whispered to herself, as she thinks about her family once again, picturing their usual morning routines. "(Sigh) I guess I might as well get ready and report to Eriol as soon as possible!"  
  
She hustled her way through the room to find some suitable clothes. The minute she opened her closet in the corner, it was piled with clothes, all shimmering with different bright colors. All the robes and long dresses were new material made with incredibly fine fabric. Sakura's jaws dropped when she discovered the small treasure of clothing, since she has never worn anything other than her old and torn brown robe. Without another word, Sakura chose the pink robe that was neatly folded in the corner and slipped it on herself. It was a perfect fit, as if it was customized for her. She twirled around the room with excitement, admiring the beauty of her servant's clothing. After a while, she took a final look at the mirror beside her closet, smiled again then ran out the room.  
  
Before she went to the main room, Sakura decided to drop by Meiling's room to show her the new discovery of her clothing. When she was about to knock, she could already hear the thundering snores coming from the room. Immediately known as Meiling's snores by Sakura, she giggled and let herself in Meiling's room. Sakura walked towards the bed in the corner, and found Meiling still wrapped deeply in her sheets and deeply sleeping. After another giggle from Sakura, she gently shook Meiling's shoulders and said, "Hurry and get up, Meiling, so we won't be late on our first day of work."  
  
Meiling grumbled, then covered her face under the blanket as if she was still fast asleep. Sakura shook her head and attempted again. "Get up, you sleepy head, or else I'll drag you up!"  
  
She could hear Meiling growling from beneath the sheets then she slowly lifted herself up like a zombie. Her eyelids still half closed, Meiling replied back. "What's up with you being so bright and early all of a sudden? And I thought you were always the one being late too."  
  
Sakura blushed at the remark. "Well, I just don't want to be an inefficient person. My mother always told me that the best way to gain confidence from someone is to show them your own confidence, and in this case, I'll have to be on time."  
  
"Yeah, yea, whatever. . ." Meiling answered back lightly. "Now that I'm awake, I'll meet you at the main room in a bit."  
  
"Ok," Sakura said brightly. "But don't go back to sleep!" The two of them smiled at the remark, then Sakura left the room and headed towards the main room.  
  
When Sakura finally found her way to the main room, Eriol was already sitting in the dining area, waiting patiently for Sakura. She hustled her way to the table Eriol reserved for her, and greeted him. "Good morning, Eriol! I'm sorry for making you wait for me!"  
  
"That's alright," he replied with his usual calm voice. "I just woke up early this morning. You are a very punctual person, Sakura, and I believe that it's the first thing everyone should learn when they come to work."  
  
"Hai," Sakura said cheerfully. Just then, she heard her stomach growl slightly, which made her blushed a little.  
  
"You must be hungry," Eriol commented, "I've made you some breakfast already, here come with me to get it!"  
  
"Oh, how can I accept breakfast from an upperclassmen when I'm the one who's suppose to cook breakfast for you?" Sakura piped up. She gave a very worried look at Eriol.  
  
"It's fine, Sakura. Let's just say this will be my treat for you, since it is your first day of work." Eriol words eased up Sakura, while he approached the kitchen to get some food. The kitchen was incredible. The size of it is almost as big as the main room itself. Everyone was hustling around to make breakfast so they won't be late for work. Sakura found two dainty plates of food at the counter, and she knew already that those were what they were going to have for breakfast.  
  
"There it is," Eriol pointed towards the two plates. "If you don't mind grabbing my plate to the dining area, I'll make us both some tea."  
  
Sakura smiled back, then she carried their food back to their tables. In a little while, Eriol also came back out with his little teapot and two cups clutched in his arms. "Have you ever had any Chinese food before, Sakura? I heard that you came from Japan, am I correct?"  
  
"Yeah," Sakura said, her tone felt as if she was a little depressed over the fact. "But the food here is not much different than the ones in Japan. They look very delicious!"  
  
"Hurry and eat up! We have a big day ahead of us!" Eriol reminded.  
  
"Oh," Sakura suddenly remembered. "About the trip to Western China. . .is it just a rumor?"  
  
"You heard about it too? I was just about to tell you about it," Eriol took a sip of his tea. "The Empress and the Prince is going to make a visit to Western China due to some national issues. We were in war for many generations, but until present day, our Empress and the Western Empress has decided to become friends instead of enemies. But I'm sure there was rumors about the Western Princess being the most beautiful woman there, and there were some plans being made about her marriage with our Prince Syaoran."  
  
"So, it was not a rumor. . ." Sakura murmured to herself.  
  
"The Empress and the Prince is going to leave in about a month, so now we have to make lots of preparations."  
  
"A month?!?" Sakura was shocked, considering that she left her home with only one day's notice. But with a month of time, she was sure that there would be plenty of time.  
  
"Yes, a month. Well. . . actually, the packing and preparations wouldn't take that long, but the time is used mostly to find the most suitable servants to go on this long trip, and also to find a very elegant and expensive gift for the Empress of the West." Eriol further explained.  
  
"Ohhh. . ." Sakura nodded then finished eating her breakfast with Eriol quickly.  
  
"Let's get to work!" Sakura cheerfully said. "I'll be working at the peony garden after I wash the dishes!"  
  
Eriol smiled at her cheerfulness then disappeared in the hallway.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Sou totteoki no. . . honey. . ." Sakura hummed to herself while she's watering the flowers. Her first day was going by pretty well, since she had already watered a quarter of the garden just in the first half of the day. She gently sprinkled the water on top of the flowers, while the drops delicately bounced off the leaves and into the black soil. Then, she sprinkled some fertilizer from another bucket onto the same flowerpot. She seems to be enjoying this work very much, and on the other hand, she was happy that she could actually make some money to support her family. Her mood lightened up even more as she approached to the next flowerpot.  
  
Then, in the corner of her eyes, she saw two tall figures approaching her direction. She thought it must be Eriol and Meiling, so she didn't even bother to turn around and immediately blurted out, "Hi Eriol, Meiling!!! How's work today? Yea, I'm doing fine!! At this rate, I'll finish all my work before sun set!!" She continued to water her garden blindly, not noticing the two tall figures standing in front of her was the Empress and the Prince.  
  
"Ahem. . ." The Empress cleared her throat as a signal to Sakura, who was suddenly shocked by her low voice. Cold sweat broke around her face, as she already knew the two in front of her wasn't her two friends. She looked up at them, and when she recognized their faces, she immediately dropped down on her knees and greeted, "E-Empress!! And Prince Syaoran!!"  
  
Sakura's was trembling, realizing the stupid act she just did. 'Oh, no!' She thought to herself. 'Sakura Kinomoto, why are you so stupid? This is the third time already!! How can I screw up so badly in front of the Empress and Prince again! God, please help me!!'  
  
"Please, we would like some tea and snacks to be delivered at once," The Empress ordered, while walking gracefully with the Prince to the gazebo.  
  
"H-Hai!" Sakura replied, feeling slightly uneasy. She slowly looked up at the back to the Empress and the Prince, and at the same time wondering why she wasn't scolded for her misbehavior. Then, when Sakura turned to look at the Prince who was beside the Empress, she suddenly noticed that she's eye to eye with him. They stared at each other for about a few seconds then both quickly looked away.  
  
Sakura's heart was beating very fast, and she found herself sweating all over. She quickly got up and ran towards the cottage to get the tea and snacks for them. On her way, her heart kept on beating faster than ever with the face of the prince running through her mind several times. 'Why is my heart beating so fast?' She asked herself, but even deep down herself, she couldn't find the answer. His amber eyes are the most beautiful ones that Sakura had ever seen, and she could've sworn that the feeling she had during those short seconds was very warm and comfortable. 'I must've worked too hard today. . .' she concluded, then entered the cottage.  
  
After a while, Sakura walked down to the garden with a plate of dim sum, along with a china teapot that contained their beverages. She walked steadily across the path of the garden, and finally to the gazebo where the Empress and Prince sat. Sakura placed the food on the table and then called out, "The snacks and tea are ready, your majesty."  
  
"Excellent," The Empress replied. "This is exactly what I wanted. . .Syaoran, why don't you have some dim sum as well while we discuss the issue?"  
  
The Prince bowed his head low. "Yes," Then he reached out his hand and helped himself to the tea first. The scent of the top quality oolong tea fanned its way across the whole garden, sending a very comfortable sensation into the atmosphere. The Prince took a sip of the tea then turned the rest of his attention into his mother.  
  
The Empress, also taking a sip from her teacup, began. "First, I have something very important to tell you. I have already made arrangements with the Empress of the West towards your future. Through many nights of discussions, we have decided that both you and the Princess of the West shall marry."  
  
After the Empress's words, there was silence hanging in the air. Sakura, who stood at the side, heard every single word from the Empress. She was shocked herself too, and when she looked at the Prince, she noticed he was gritting his teeth.  
  
"Why did you make the decision so sudden. I'm not interested in a bride yet, let alone a Western Princess." The Prince stated.  
  
"That," the Empress explained, "is way beyond my control. You will have to understand, Syaoran, that this marriage is very important for the sake of both Eastern and Western China. We must come up with some sort of agreement, or else the civil war will continue and it would be a great loss for the entire country. Syaoran, do you understand the importance of this marriage? It's the only way to tie up our relationship."  
  
"But, why me?" The Prince argued. "I mean, why can't you just make friends with the Western Empress?"  
  
"That is out of the question!" The Empress snapped. "I have already made the arrangements, and you must marry the Princess whether you like it or not! Now, calm down Syaoran, and take this as a fact!"  
  
Sakura, who was still standing invisible at the side, listened to the entire conversation. The Empress took a deep breath, then reached over and picked up a cherry-blossom-shaped dumpling. The very moment after she ate it, she was amazed. "Wow, these are the most wonderful dumplings I've ever tasted! Who made these?"  
  
Sakura immediately kneeled down in front of the Empress. "I-I made the dumplings, your highness."  
  
The Empress looked down at Sakura. "Hmm. . .you're new around here. Your name's Sakura right? You do cook very good as a young woman."  
  
"Th-thank you." Sakura replied and found herself shaking very badly. "These dumplings are my mother's special recipes."  
  
"Ah, I see." The Empress said. "Since you make such fine tasting food, I've decided to bring you along to our trip. Would you be interested to come?"  
  
Sakura thought she was about to drop dead. "But, your majesty, I'm just a new servant in the palace. I don't have enough experience yet."  
  
"I insist you come. Experience doesn't matter, as long as you are quick minded." The Empress told her.  
  
Sakura couldn't think of another way to decline, so she agreed. "I'll do my best. . ."  
  
"Great! Now, I'll let you go for the rest of the day, so you can start getting ready for the trip as well. You may proceed now." The Empress ordered then got up from her seat. "Syaoran, I hope you will consider what I've just talked to you about and become ready to long road trip." After her words, she gracefully walked away, leaving the Prince alone in the gazebo.  
  
Sakura was still standing silently at the side, this time she watched the Prince who was grunting angrily. He drowned himself with the whole entire pot of tea then he started eating away rest of the dumplings on the plate. Sakura waited till the very end, watching the Prince's every motion and until he finished the last bite, he called, "Hey, you over there!"  
  
Sakura went up to him and replied, "What can I do for you?"  
  
"You cooked these, right?" He asked, while glaring at her and pointing at the empty plate that once contained the cherry-blossom-shaped dumplings.  
  
Sakura felt uneasy of his glare, but answered anyways. "Y-yes."  
  
The Prince nodded, and said. "Not too bad. . . . . . I would like you to make these for me again tomorrow when I visit this garden again."  
  
Sakura thought she heard him wrong, because those were the last word she'll suspect coming from the Prince. "S-sure. . . . . . no problem. . . ."  
  
The Prince nodded again, then left the garden. Suddenly, Sakura's heartbeat raced within her body again. This is the first time she had heard the Prince talked nicely to her, and this time he complimented her too. Sakura felt unusual, but very happy at the same time. A smile appeared on her face, bringing back the confidence within her since she thought the Prince and Empress would never be fond of her. After she quickly cleaned up the dishes and plates, she trodden her way back to the servant's house.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/n: Hmmm. . . I tried making this chapter long, but then I didn't have much ideas, so I guess this chapter lacked some action. Any comments and questions? PLEASE REVIEW!!  
  
And again, if anyone who wants me to email you when I update, please state it in your review. It just make things way easier, I guess, since I'm not very quick at updating. ^^  
  
!) 


	8. Ch 7 On the Other Side of the Moon

A/n: Thanks again for all the reviews!! Sorry, I've been quite busy lately, especially with school work. Next week, I'm going to be REALLY busy with tests (stupid teachers) so chances are that it's going to take me a while to update the next chapter. But, I'm still going to try my best for everyone! Thanks and enjoy this chapter!  
  
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Sealed in our Fate . . .  
  
Chapter 7 - On the Other Side of the Moon  
  
It has been several weeks since Sakura was invited to come along to the trip. According Sakura's personal countdown, there is exactly 5 days before their big departure. During this long period of time, everyone has been hustling around the palace busy with their preparations. As promised, Sakura has been to the peony garden almost everyday, bringing her famous Japanese style dim sum to the Prince. But still, the Prince treated Sakura as cold as anybody else in the palace, so this didn't seem to be much of a shock for Sakura.  
  
Early in the morning, Sakura had already been use to getting up earlier than most of the other servants in the house. She, quickly dressed herself with her clean servant clothing, smoothened her clean, shiny hair, then exited her room. She made her way to the main room of the house, then quickly fixed herself some breakfast. On her way to the kitchen, she already noticed that Meiling was already standing beside the counter. Come to think of it, Sakura hasn't seen Meiling for the past few weeks due to their busy schedule, and now Sakura was granted with the feeling of gladness to see her again. She immediately rushed over to her and threw a friendly hug to her.  
  
"Meiling! It's so nice to see you!!" Sakura squealed.  
  
Meiling, shocked by Sakura's sudden attack, replied, "Gosh, Sakura! You're choking me!" Sakura immediately let go, her face turning slightly red from what she just did. Meiling couldn't help giggling, and she had to admit that she sort of missed Sakura too.  
  
"So, how did it go with you and the gardening?" Meiling asked casually. "And how has the Prince been treating you? I've heard that you've became closer to him."  
  
"Oh, everything is just fine. And now, basically I'm making lunch for Prince Syaoran every other day, but he didn't really say anything to me except for giving me orders." Sakura explained. "I'm so excited to go on the trip!! I wonder what the Western princess and Empress is going to be like."  
  
"You're going along in the trip?" Meiling practically screamed out. Just now, Sakura realized that she didn't tell Meiling that she was invited to the trip.  
  
"Um, I guess I forgot to tell you," Sakura said. "The Empress invited me along to be one of their cooks."  
  
"Wow!" Meiling exclaimed. "You're only here for a few weeks, and you've already got the rights of the nobilities!! Usually, the Empress would go through a series of selections to find the best servants and bodyguards to join the trip. But, a rookie like you is actually being chosen so soon! I'm truly amazed, Sakura!"  
  
Sakura blushed slightly. "Well, it's nothing really." Suddenly, there was a loud growl coming from Sakura's stomach, signaling her hunger. Meiling sweat dropped, while Sakura laughed ridiculously at herself.  
  
Meiling shook her head, slightly chuckling. "You want some breakfast? I've made plenty, so you may have some of mine too."  
  
Without hesitating, Sakura immediately accepted. "Thank you, Meiling!!" She grabbed the plates and immediately dashed out to the dining room. She sets both plates on one of the tables, then sat down quickly to eat. Meiling, who just came out of the kitchen with a teapot, couldn't stop giggling. "You haven't changed at all, have you?" Both girls laughed for a while then started eating.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was almost noon hour, and Sakura had once again, almost finished most of her work for the day. Today felt as if it was one of her happier days, especially after the reunion with Meiling this morning. She cheerfully finished the rest of her work, while humming audibly to show her great mood. Before she knew it, she already finished watering the whole garden. She clapped her hands onto her own clothes to rub off the dirt, then she wiped off the sweat her forehead with a handkerchief. "Ah, it's such a nice day today!" She stared at the glare of the afternoon sun, and gave out a big smile. "I guess it's time to cook!"  
  
Sakura jogged towards the cottage and started preparing her famous lunch for the prince again. This time, for some reason, she made a lot more than last time and also added more flavor to the dim sum than usual. After a little while, she finished cooking lunch. She looked at her finished product, feeling very satisfied. "I hope the prince will enjoy this lunch!"  
  
In a short while, Sakura was back at the garden, slowly walking towards the gazebo with her warm lunch. But, from a distance, she looked and saw no sign of the prince. When she got there, she gently placed the food on the empty table. She looked around, and still couldn't see the prince anywhere. "That's odd," she said, "He's usually here about this time of the day . . . hmmm, I guess I'll just wait for him here." Sakura glanced around the garden again then stepped aside to the corner waiting patiently for the arrival of the prince.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The day is almost over, and the sun is slowly disappearing behind the mountains. The sky is in a beautiful shade of blue, pink, and yellow all blended in together. Everyone around the palace had already gone back to their own houses, and getting ready to rest. Sakura, on the other hand, is still waiting inside the gazebo of the garden, waiting for Syaoran to come. The dim sum on the table is obviously cooled by the atmosphere, but the color of it is still very attractive. Sakura started to worry for the prince. 'Where could he have gone? He ordered me to come cook to him today, but why is he so late?' Sakura wondered if she should leave or not, but she's also worried that when she left, the prince would arrive. 'Should I go find him? But what are the chances of me finding him?' Sakura gave out a long sigh. 'Oh well, I guess I should head back to the servant's house. . .'  
  
Sakura packed up the plate of food on the table and prepared to bring it back to the cottage. The sky was getting darker every minute, making it quite difficult to see the pathway, but Sakura still managed to find her way back to the old house ahead of her. She dropped the dishes in the wooden tub below the table, then took out a large bucket to retrieve some water from the well outside of the cottage. Before she moved another step, she suddenly smelled a strong aroma. . . . . . something very strong. She glanced around the room and wondered where the strong smell might have come from. When she walked towards the door leading to another room, the smell was stronger. She was sure the smell wasn't of any cologne or perfume, but it was a very peculiar essence: something that Sakura had never smelled before.  
  
She slowly took the handle and thrust open the sliding door that lead to a room she had never knew existed. The first thing that came from the room was the scent; she immediately knew that it was the smell of top class liquor. The ground of that room was covered with wet spots, along with some empty beer jugs rolling around. The room was dimly lit, and night had approached already. Sakura took out a lighter from her pocket (a/n: I know there's no lighter in ancient China, but I couldn't think of another word ^^) and aimed it at the oil lamp on the table.  
  
Soon, when the room was illuminated, Sakura could clearly see a figure of a man, who seemed to be asleep with his arms folded on the table and his head rested on his arms. His head was facing down, so Sakura couldn't identify him. She noticed that the scent of liquor was coming from him, and she guessed that he must've drank too much, considering the amount of empty beer jugs lying around the room.  
  
Sakura gently tapped his shoulders. "Umm . . . . . . excuse me, are you alright?"  
  
No answer.  
  
Sakura could feel that he was fast asleep, so she slowly lifted him up. He was quite heavy, which took Sakura a while to get him sitting in proper position. When the man's face was revealed, Sakura had an instant shock when she realized it was him. Prince Syaoran.  
  
"Prince Syaoran!" Sakura shrieked. She was shaking with fear, not knowing what she should do with an unconscious prince laying in front of her. She looked around the room, and luckily found a haystack at a corner that could be used as a bed. But the only problem is, how to get him there from the table.  
  
'He's too heavy,' Sakura thought. But she couldn't leave him sitting there without proper care, so she must at least attempt to carry him over to the haystack. She gripped her hands around his waist, then pulled as hard as she could. His body shifted out of the chair immediately, but Sakura wasn't strong enough to support his whole entire weight. Almost instantly, Sakura collapsed onto the ground, along with the prince who fell on top of Sakura. . . . . . still unconscious.  
  
Sakura's heart rushed when she noticed that the Prince had fell on her. Her face was growing beet red, and she noticed that his face was only about an inch away from hers. He was still buried deep inside his sleep, so it left Sakura helplessly trying to get out of the position she's in right now. Sweat broke all over Sakura, and her heart was beating faster that she has ever experienced. She pulled, and pulled, and pulled with all her might, and finally freed herself from his body weight.  
  
She felt relieved and was gasping for air after using most of her strength already. But still, her heart was beating very rapidly, since this is the first time that she had ever been in such close contact with any man. She stared at the sleeping face of the prince, and was sort of glad that he wasn't conscious enough to witness what had just happened.  
  
After her short break, Sakura gripped her hands again on his waist and started pulling his body towards the haystack at the corner. This time, it was much easier pulling, so in a short while, Sakura had settled the prince on top the haystack.  
  
She quickly went out the door, grabbed the bucket, and retrieved water from the well. In less than a minute, she returned with a bucket full of water. She grabbed a cloth from the table, and dragged the bucket inside the room and placed it beside where the prince laid. After soaking the cloth with water, she gently dabbed the cloth on the prince's face. He grunted a little, but Sakura continued washing.  
  
When she finally finished, Sakura stayed where she is and took a moment to rest. She stared straight at the prince's face, and suddenly, it made her heart jump. This is the first time Sakura had seen such a clear look at him, and also the first time that Sakura had noticed how handsome the prince was. She gently brushed his hair away from his face, and took an even longer look at him. 'Why did you drank so much?' she wondered.  
  
Suddenly, before she took her hands away, the prince's hands grasped her very tightly. Sakura tried to pull her hands away from his, but it was no use; he was holding her too tight. Sakura felt uneasy about this, but she noticed that the prince was still asleep. His expression changed into a very worried look.  
  
"Xiao Ling. . ." he called in a very weak voice.  
  
Sakura was confused. 'Xiao Ling? What is he talking about?"  
  
"Xiao Ling. . . don't leave. . . . me. . . . . Xiao Ling!" he continued calling out.  
  
Sakura looked puzzled, since the prince was still fast asleep, but talking at the same time. 'Could he be having a nightmare? Or is he saying this because he's drunk?'  
  
"You were. . . . my only. . . friend. . ." The prince continued. "You're the only one. . . . . I'm going to marry. We've promised. . . ." Suddenly, he wrapped both of his hands around Sakura's body then pulled her towards him in a tender embrace.  
  
Sakura nearly shrieked, but instead, she just blushed even more. She was being held inside the prince's warm body, under his warm breath.  
  
"Don't. . . . leave . . . . me. . . ."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next morning approached very quickly. The morning sunlight woke gradually woke Sakura up. She didn't realize it, but she had spent the whole night sleeping inside the prince's arms. Again, her heart was beating fast as ever when she noticed that the prince still had his arms around her, the same way as last night. She gently lifted his arms away, trying her hardest not to wake him up, while trying to free herself at the same time. But, she failed at doing this, because the prince was also awakened by the morning sun.  
  
When he found himself holding Sakura, the prince immediately pushed her away, making her collapse onto the ground. "What are you doing here? Why was I. . . . holding on to you? What happened?" He ordered, his face looking confused.  
  
"I. . . . I found you drunk in this room. . . . so I put you down at the haystack so you can rest. . ." Sakura stammered.  
  
"Drunk. . ." The prince repeated. There was a long silence, and he finally remembered what happened to him yesterday before he was became unconscious.  
  
"Yes, your highness. . ." Sakura added.  
  
"I see. . .but. . .what were you doing here. . .beside me?" The prince asked.  
  
"It was because. . .you called out someone by the name of Xiao Ling, then suddenly, you held me very tightly. . ." Sakura stopped and looked away.  
  
The prince was shocked. "What. . . what else did I say when I was unconscious?"  
  
Sakura hesitated, but answered, "Well. . .nothing much. . .actually. . ."  
  
There was an even longer break of silence. The prince looked away into something else, and not believing that he had said such things.  
  
Sakura, who was dying of curiosity, sheepishly asked, "Who is. . . .Xiao Ling?"  
  
"It's none of your business!!" The prince roared back, causing Sakura to shut her eyes. There were small traces of tears running down her cheeks.  
  
Sakura was terrified by his scream. She didn't know what to do or say next, so she just sat where she was with her eyes closed. Suddenly, a soft and gentle hand touched her, making her feel a little better. She opened her eyes, and found herself face to face with the prince. . . his face looking apologetic.  
  
"I'm sorry. . ." the prince said softly. Sakura was shocked by that he actually apologized. He continued, "My mother and I had an argument yesterday about my marriage, but I became so angry that I came here and just started drinking. . ." He looked down, his face still the same expression. "Please, don't mention of this to anyone else in the palace. I would be really grateful."  
  
It was the first time that Sakura had seen the prince talking so softly to her. Those words eased Sakura's heart, and it also surprised her too. She wiped her tears away, and nodded gently.  
  
The prince stood up, and approached the door. Before he headed out the door, he added, "Thank you. . . for taking care of me last night. . ."  
  
Sakura felt as if her confidence was regained. She smiled back and quietly replied, "You're welcome. . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chibiwinwin: Sorry if there's any confusion with this chap. If there is any, you could email me, and I would clarify some points for you ^_^ Hehe, yeah, I couldn't help myself by doing some S+S moments. . . but I'll get to the trip by the next chapter for sure!! Please be patient with me. . .  
  
And if anyone who wants me to email you when I updated, please say so in the review. I guess this is a more convenient way since it takes me a while to update.  
  
go to my mine and friends' website:  
  
www.geocities.com/magical_crazee_trio/  
  
-please sign the guestbook! (no flames please!) 


	9. Ch 8 Prepared to Leave

A/n: *Sniffles Sniffles* I've made it over 100 reviews!! Thanks minna-san!! Hehe, I'm so happy. . .but, on the previous chapter, many of you guys are asking about who Xiao Ling is. Well, I've got to keep it a secret, and you'll find out later on in the story. . .(though it is sort of predictable)  
  
Sorry for the late update, but the exams I'm having are so annoying!! Haha, but anyways, this is just going to be a short chap, since I'm running low on ideas. But to prevent you guys from waiting too long, I must update at least something right? Anyways, enjoy!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sealed in our Fate. . .  
  
The prince stood up, and approached the door. Before he headed out the door, he added, "Thank you. . . for taking care of me last night. . ."  
  
Sakura felt as if her confidence was regained. She smiled back and quietly replied, "You're welcome. . ."  
  
Chapter 8 - Prepared to Leave  
  
During the next five days, Sakura's heart has been eased greatly ever since that night that she spent with the prince. She felt no more pressure from getting in trouble anymore, and the palace seems more and more like a home to her each day. But the thing that bothered Sakura the most was the presence of the prince. Every time he visits the garden, Sakura feels her heart racing out of her body. She would occasionally take several glances at the prince, each time resulting a blush on her face. He was very handsome. . .almost too handsome to be real, but Sakura just blindly stares at him everyday. Why does she feel this way every time the prince was here? Sakura would ask herself every time, but the answer seems to be buried deep inside herself. The prince, however, didn't show any more attention to Sakura than any other servants in the palace. Every time he visits the garden, he would just sit himself at the gazebo, waiting for Sakura's daily lunch routine. How Sakura wished the prince would pay more attention to her.  
  
Time flew rapidly, and before anyone knew it, the big day has arrived. It was so early in the morning that the sun hasn't been welcomed into the day yet. Sakura, excited and nervous, couldn't sleep any longer, so she decided that she might as well wake up. Quickly cleaning and dressing herself up, Sakura packed up all her clothing in a small and compacted bag, along with some other accessories. While searching through her own closet, she came upon a small money bag dyed with the color of the sky, and in the center laced with a golden-red phoenix. Her attention was immediately caught at this bag, reminiscing the time before she came to China, when her mother handed her this beautifully laced moneybag. "Mother." Sakura whispered, as tiny droplets of tears trickled down her cheeks.  
  
'Be strong, don't cry.' Sakura remembered her mother telling her. She slowly wiped the tears away with her sleeves then packed the money bag nicely inside her luggage. "I'll promise, mother, that I'll make you proud when I come home one day!" Sakura said, trying as hard as she can to be strong, without her family at her side.  
  
After a final check around her room, Sakura closed her door tightly then headed towards the main room. The place was completely empty when Sakura walked in, and the room was very poorly lit since morning was still far from approaching. 'I guess I must've woke up too early,' Sakura thought. She glanced around the room, trying to find something to do before the sun rises. 'Well, I guess there isn't much for me to do. Might as well take a walk or something to kill time.' Sakura sighed then approached the door.  
  
She started following the sidewalk, not knowing where she wanted to head to. It was quite an unusual scene to see the whole palace so empty before sunrise. She continued walking, and in no time, she was lead towards the peony garden. As she had thought, the garden was also spotless from people, but the peonies are still blooming beautifully. She walked through the main sidewalk down the garden, where it is aligned with rows of peonies at both sides. It was like walking through heaven, a road that leads to eternal happiness. Sakura closed her eyes, trying to feel the morning breeze brushing against her face, along with the strong essence of peonies. How she wished this walk to last forever.  
  
As Sakura continues passing through the sidewalk, she suddenly saw a figure approaching towards her direction. The morning fog makes it hard to identify the person, but Sakura could recognize him in just a glance; Prince Syaoran. Sakura was so shocked, that she almost fell off her feet. 'Why is he wandering around the garden so early in the morning? Did he not sleep well last night, just like me?' Sakura just stood in the middle of the road, not knowing to whether hide or greet him. The prince didn't seem to notice Sakura's presence, as he just kept walking down the sidewalk, approaching closer and closer towards Sakura. Her heart beating faster every step he takes, Sakura starts to shake. 'Why am I acting like this every time I see him? Why can't I face him bravely?'  
  
Before Sakura could figure out what to do, the prince has already walked close enough to figure out Sakura's presence. Sakura took a deep breath, since there's nothing else she could do, then greeted, "Good morning, your highness."  
  
The prince looked at Sakura as if she had interrupted his train of thoughts. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?" He asked.  
  
"Well. . . . . . uh. . . . . I just couldn't sleep. . . .so I just came to . . . uh . . . take a walk." Sakura replied, shaking harder and her heart beating faster.  
  
"Oh. . ." The prince said then continued walking. As he walked pass Sakura, she could clearly see his face. It was the most depressing face Sakura had ever seen, and couldn't help but feel her heart aching as well. She wondered what could make him so sad, and before she knew it, she just did something that she had no idea why she did.  
  
"Wait!!" Sakura called out.  
  
The prince stopped and looked back at Sakura, waiting to hear what she wanted to say.  
  
Now sweat broke all over Sakura's face, as she tries to think of something to say. 'Why did I call him? Now what should I say to him? God, Sakura, how did I get myself into this?'  
  
"Yes?" The prince said impatiently, but his voice was very soft.  
  
"Umm. . . . . uhhh. . . ." Sakura stammered. This time, her heart beat was definitely audible. 'Say it, Sakura! Say it!' Sakura shouted in her mind. 'Say it before he walks away!' But, Sakura can't seem to gather enough courage.  
  
The prince shook his head in an irritated manner, then ignored Sakura and kept on walking.  
  
"Umm. . . .excuse me!" Sakura called out once again. This time, she really didn't know why she called out again.  
  
The prince turned around again. "What is it?" His voice was showing signs of impatience.  
  
"Uhhhh . . . . . ." Sakura still hesitated. She closed her eyes tightly, then blurted, "Please, tell me what's bothering you!" Sakura kept her eyes shut, waiting for the prince's answer.  
  
The prince's expression stayed the same. There was a few minutes of silence in between, and as Sakura slowly slid her eyelids open, she can see a clear face of the prince right in from of her. His face was solemn, but then a tint of a smile can be detected. The prince calmly said, "Everything is fine. . .just pack up your stuff and be ready to go so you won't be late." After that said, he continued walking his direction, and Sakura watched until he disappeared from the sidewalk.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was about a few moments after sunrise, but the main gate is already piled with servants and other noblemen who are also coming along to the trip. There were row among rows of horses lined up outside the front gate, and the ones in the center are the most beautiful horses, which attached to it is a fairly large and decorated carriage. The other horses have larger wagons attached to them for carrying luggage and other equipment.  
  
Sakura has been standing with the other servants for quite a while already, but things look like it's going to take even longer before they really leave the palace. The Empress and the Prince still hasn't arrived yet, and probably are going to be the last one to arrive to the main gate. Sakura stood patiently and continued to wait, but she's really dying to find something to do.  
  
"Sakura!!" Two voices from a distanced called out. Sakura looked into the direction of the call, and was so happy to see Meiling and Eriol approaching her way.  
  
"Meiling! Eriol!" Sakura called back, and waved vigorously at them.  
  
They were both running hard towards her, and by the time they caught up to Sakura, they were both gasping for air. "Sakura. . ." Meiling said while panting hard. She took out a small bag of food and pushed it to Sakura's hands. "These are your favorite buns that I've just made. If I remember correctly, I don't think you have eaten breakfast yet."  
  
Sakura had just remembered how excited she was when she woke up, and she completely forgotten about eating. Almost right on cue, her stomach just made a loud and long 'growl'.  
  
Meiling giggled. "Haha, I guess I've made it just in the right time! I don't think they'll stop for lunch until halfway through the afternoon, so you better eat up or else you won't have enough strength to last for even half a day."  
  
Sakura immediately threw a hug at Meiling. "Oh. . . Thank you so much! I don't know what I'll do with you, Meiling!!" Meiling returned a hug to Sakura, smiling tenderly as if she was a mother. "Just take care when you're traveling," Meiling advised. "Be sure to stay with your group at all times, and don't let anyone bully you! If they do, give me their names and I'll fight them down to hell!"  
  
The three of them laughed, as if they were all within a family. Sakura released her long hug with Meiling then turned to Eriol.  
  
"Oh, and here's my gift to you, Sakura." Eriol held out a silky white cloak in front of her. "It's very windy these days and it might get very cold at night. This cloak might be able to give you some warmth while you're miles away from us."  
  
The cloak was truly beautiful. The silky material gave the cloak the great shine to it, and the silvery white colors shone just like the winter snow. Sakura was speechless as she held onto the cloak tightly to feel it's softness. "Eriol. . .this is too beautiful. . . I can't take it. . ."  
  
"It's yours, Sakura. I want you to be safe and warm while you're traveling, so please accept it." Eriol smiled warmly at her.  
  
For a split second, Eriol sounded so much like an older brother to Sakura. She felt so happy to have such great friends to bid her farewell, as silent tears formed and trickled down her cheeks. "You guys are so great. . . I don't know how to thank you. . ." Sakura's tears cannot be controlled as it continuously streamed down her face.  
  
Meiling took out her handkerchief and offered it to Sakura, while Eriol shuffled her hair like an older brother would do. "Just promise us, Sakura," Eriol said. "Come back safely, and that will be your thanks to us."  
  
Meiling helped to dry off Sakura's tears with her sleeves. "And promise me that you won't be so air headed at important times. Also, don't go around crying so easily. It's not like we're going to separate forever or something"  
  
Sakura took their advice and nodded like a child. Her tears just can't seem to stop, but she kept repeating to herself that they are only going to part for a few months, and half a year at most. But the thought of separation really aches her heart, especially when it reminds her most of the time when she had to separate from her family.  
  
"The Empress has arrived! The Prince has arrived!" Sakura heard one of the male soldiers call out loudly. She immediately dropped onto her knees and bowed her head as low as possible, along with the rest of the people present.  
  
Both the Empress and the Prince made a fine procession as everyone watched them enter the carriage. Final calls were made just a few minutes before the crowd leaves the palace. Sakura gave both Meiling and Eriol a final hug, and then bid them a final "Farewell".  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chibiwinwin: I am really truly sorry for the lack of update! If I kept anyone waiting in suspense for too long, I apologize again! ^^;; And also sorry for this chap being so meaningless, as I promised last time that I would get to the point.this time, I'll REALLY promise that I'll get to the point next chap!  
  
Just to tell everyone in advance, I will not be able to update at all this month, or perhaps the earliest would be close to the end of June. Yea, that means I'll have to keep you guys waiting.but I'm sure I'll be updating faster by the time summer holiday comes!!  
  
If you haven't already received emails for my updates and you want to, please say so in the review! ^_^ Ja ne!! 


	10. Ch 9 Across the Country

A/n: Gomen minna-san!! I know it took me a LONG time to update, and I'm terribly sorry for the delay. I've been attempting to write this chapter many times already, but it didn't seem to work out at all, and I almost thought I lost the ability to write. But, I somehow wrote this chapter anyways, and I hope it hasn't lost my writing style and it's still enjoyable to you guys!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sealed in our Fate. . .  
  
Both the Empress and the Prince made a fine procession as everyone watched them enter the carriage. Final calls were made just a few minutes before the crowd leaves the palace. Sakura gave both Meiling and Eriol a final hug, and then bid them a final "Farewell".  
  
Chapter 9 - Across the Country  
  
The traveling was actually quicker and easier than Sakura had imagined before. Being one of the honored chef in the group, Sakura had actually gained a special seat in one of the carriages, while other lower classed servants were forced to walk the whole entire way. There was practically nothing for Sakura to do inside the carriage, other than sitting around and occasionally looking out the window to see the spectacular scenario. China was far bigger than Sakura had expected, and breath-taking views of waterfalls and mountains were visible. Even through deep boredom, Sakura still found the amazing sight very entertaining, since she could just stare out the window the whole day if she wanted.  
  
There were occasional stops for the ones who were walking to rest for a while and eat. That's when Sakura makes her famous lunches to serve the Empress and the Prince, and along with a large number other servants. Compliments for her came like a huge wave from the ocean. Her popularity among the other servants grew fairly rapidly. Even the Prince often gave her positive feedback on her excellent gourmet skills. And every time the Prince complimented her, she feels even happier than all the other compliments combined. But, how she wished the Prince could give her more attention, other than just the food she makes, and that day would be in her deepest dreams.  
  
The trip was pacing exactly as scheduled, and fifteen days passed by in the blink of an eye. According to the navigator, they're only about a third of the way until they arrive to the western regions. The Empress is very excited and constantly hoping to arrive quicker, along with everyone else in the crew. Even the Prince seems excited, but deep inside, he wishes that he'll never arrive. No one seems to notice that the Prince is filled with depression, except for Sakura, who notices him almost always.  
  
Lunch hour has hit again on the sixteenth day of traveling, and Sakura cooks up another excellent meal. She made an exceptionally large and sweetened plate of dim sum for the Prince, hoping that it would cheer him up a little bit and drag him out of his depressing mood. But when she was about to present the food to the Prince, he was nowhere to be found in the crowd. Sakura checked around the carriages, around the tables, over the crowd of elite peoples, and all over the place but the Prince just seemed to disappear. She wondered if the prince had wandered alone around the place, since it's the only possibility left. With nothing else to do, she decided to go back and wrap the food up until the prince come back.  
  
She went back to her own carriage to find a handkerchief so she can wrap up the food for the Prince. As she swapped open the curtain which acted as a door to the carriage, she suddenly saw a figure sitting on the ground, his head resting on his arms and his face facing the other direction. According to his clothes, Sakura could immediately tell that he was Prince Syaoran. She was really shocked, but didn't seem to scream since he sounded like he's sleeping.  
  
'What his Prince Syaoran doing here in my carriage?' Sakura wondered as she placed the plate of dim sum on the table and knelt beside him. His body is more curled up, and his breathing is soft and relaxing. His head turned slightly, now facing Sakura while still sound asleep. Sakura could feel her own face heating up as she stared longer at the prince's face, which was by far the most handsome face she had ever seen.  
  
'Why does the prince always appears in the oddest places?' Sakura didn't really bother to answer that herself, but the question that keeps coming up in her head is whether if she should wake him up or not.  
  
'He always appears unconscious in front of me. . .'  
  
Sakura couldn't help herself from staring at his face. It was too beautiful and irresistible, and she simply can't just take her eyes away from him. But she knew very clear herself that there's no way she would have the courage to stare at the prince this way if he is awake.  
  
Finally decided not to wake him, Sakura pulled out a small cloak out of her trunk of clothing, then swept it open and laid it overtop of the prince's body. Before she finished tucking him in, the prince suddenly grabbed Sakura with his strong hands, gripping her hands tighter than ever. Sakura lead out a shriek of surprise and shock.  
  
"P-prince Syaoran. . ." Sakura stared at his awakened eyes, her hands still locked inside his.  
  
"What are you doing?" The prince questioned, pointing at the cloak Sakura's holding with her other hand.  
  
Sakura sheepishly replied, "You were sleeping, and I thought you might catch a cold this way so I. . ."  
  
"What are you doing here then? Are you looking for me for something?" The prince snapped before letting Sakura finish.  
  
"Well. . .I thought I could bring you some lunch. . ." Sakura answered, then changed her focus to the plate of dim sum beside them.  
  
The prince's stomach suddenly growled loudly, but the prince stayed stubborn and answered, "I'm no hungry."  
  
"But your highness, you must eat. . ."  
  
"I said I'm not hungry!!" He hollered. His yell made Sakura's eyes teary, as she just looked away and started wrapping the food away quietly. Her expression somewhat made the prince feel a little guilty for yelling. "Well. . .how did you find me here?" He tried to lighten up the situation.  
  
Sakura looked up, surprised that the prince suddenly changed his tone of voice. "This is the carriage that I'm assigned to. It's the one I've been on for the past fifteen days."  
  
The prince gave her a puzzled look. "A servant like you gets a carriage all by yourself?" His remark caused Sakura to blush silently instead.  
  
"I'm not sure how either. . ." Sakura said, while she finished wrapping the food in a small handkerchief. Suddenly, another audible growl from the prince's stomach was heard. The prince grew embarrassed, but still insisted that he wasn't hungry.  
  
"I'm going now." The prince said, then headed towards the doorway.  
  
"Wait!" Sakura called. "Please, take the dim sum with you. It doesn't matter if don't eat it, but please take it so you have something to nibble on when you feel hungry again." Sakura bowed her head down low while holding the bag of dim sum in front of her.  
  
The prince looked back at her and the bag of dim sum. "God, you don't understand do you?" He blurted out and headed towards the door again. But, Sakura didn't move an inch as she continued bowing. The prince stood for a few moments looking back, then grabbed the bag without saying anything and left. Sakura looked up again and found the prince had disappeared, along with her bag of dim sum. A smile appeared on Sakura face, and she knew the prince would enjoy the lunch.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
On one typical traveling day, where the sun is positioned directly above their heads and emitting blinding heat waves, the group continues to walk through the empty landscape. Step by step they walk, the day seemed to drag on forever, especially when Sakura feels like she's being trapped inside a sauna room when she's really just sitting in her carraige, trying to think of a way to cool herself down. Along with everyone else in the group, they all desperately want to stop before they all get a heat stroke.  
  
Sakura glanced out of the window, and saw everyone else who is walking outside sweating rapidly and walking faintly ahead. She noticed that the ones walking are just low classed servants, probably where Sakura might have ended up if the Empress and the Prince didn't recognize her so quickly. One of the servants stared back at Sakura, and that look on her face is saying how much she envies Sakura's position right now, relaxing inside a carriage all day and shaded from the demon heat. Guilt rushed through Sakura's heart when she noticed the girl is still staring back at her. There was no way Sakura could invite her inside the carriage, since it would be against the rules and it might even throw herself out of her current state. Sakura swung the curtains that cancelled the light from entering the carriage, leaving herself in a nicely shaded area, where she won't be able to see the people from outside.  
  
Moments later, one of the navigators announced to everyone that they are about to enter a small town ahead, and that would be their stop for the night. They have been spending the nights at the wilderness for many, many days, and now finally, everyone gets to have a nice sleep at a bed instead of sleeping inside carriages, and even on the ground for some servants.  
  
By the time they reached the town, the sun had already been hidden halfway behind the mountains. The horizons were the most beautiful Sakura had ever seen since she had been working in China. She could still remember the days back in Japan where she can watch the sunset every night behind her backyard by the small pond. It was the happiest old days that she had longed for now to go back to.  
  
The town was still filled with many people wandering around the market. There are tons of stands out in the market, selling almost anything one can think of. But there was no way this town can beat the town Sakura grew up in, the way it was so busy every day and so full of energy. This town was rather quieter, but still held a very peaceful atmosphere around that Sakura could feel and sense at the same time.  
  
It didn't take long for the group to find the nearest Inn that provides a full course meal and also enough rooms for everyone, including the servants to spend the night. Finally, Sakura got off her carriage for a chance for her legs to stretch out. For a moment, she thought she couldn't feel her legs operating, but after a few stretches, it was right back to normal. The Empress and the Prince had already settled inside their rooms, while the other servants slowly divided themselves up and started approaching to their shared rooms too. When Sakura entered the Inn, she found herself sharing a room with one of the other low classed servants. Sakura quickly gathered her luggage, then approached upstairs to find her room as well.  
  
Her room was easy to find, and as soon as she found it, she immediately opened it. Not knowing that her roommate was already inside, Sakura immediately apologized. "I'm very sorry for bulging in so suddenly! My name is Sakura, and we will be roommates for tonight! I hope we can get along well together!" After Sakura gave her usual introductory speech, the girl inside was still lying on her bed, her face faced the other direction.  
  
"Hi. . ." The girl said, and that was it.  
  
Sakura walked inside the room and carried her luggage to her side of the room. "So," Sakura tried to start a conversation with her, "what is your name?"  
  
The girl finally turned around. Sakura was shocked when she saw the girl's face. "My name. . .is not important. . ."  
  
It was the same girl this morning that stared back at Sakura when she was in the carriage while the girl was walking outside in the sun.  
  
"Oh. . ." Sakura was about to silence herself while the guilt ran through her body again. But she didn't allow herself to be silent, and instead, she tried to lighten up the mood. "Everyone has a name, and everyone is equally important! That's what my mother always told me. So please tell me your name and let me be your friend!" Sakura gave her a heart-warming smile.  
  
The girl felt surprised how nice Sakura was. "Hua Zhi. . . .it's a name that my mistress gave me. I have no idea what my real name is." The girl broke the eye contact, and started at the ground.  
  
Sakura felt her heart aching. 'She's so young like me, but her fate is far worse than mine.' "Oh. . .it's a very beautiful name." The conversation seemed to go nowhere, and now it's just starting to silence themselves.  
  
Hua Zhi was wearing very common clothing, and she didn't seem to have much luggage. Sakura would hate to know how her mistress is by the looks of her, and Sakura also hate to believe that such servants like her exist in the palace. Sakura could never understand the world of pain, since she is going through such luck in the palace.  
  
Both girls didn't say much to each other, and Hua Zhi turned around and said, "Good night, Sakura."  
  
Sakura felt that she was extremely sad and depressed, and Sakura just couldn't stand that mood around her. Sakura found a few sweet buns left in a wrapped handkerchief, then decided to give it to Hua Zhi instead. She laid the handkerchief beside Hua Zhi's pillow, then whispered, "It's from a piece of my heart, and I hope you'll accept it." Sakura knew that she's still awake, but Hua Zhi didn't answer. Sakura didn't want to stay in the room, because it would just make her feel guiltier, so she decided to head out for a short walk around the town. When Sakura left, Hua Zhi turned around and stared at the handkerchief. It was the first time anyone had given her a gift. Crying from gratitude, Hua Zhi whispered "Thank you!" to Sakura, and she knows that Sakura must've heard her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The town was really quiet once the sky darkens. Sakura liked it quiet while she walked around. She could see candle-lit houses around the town, giving a warm and cozy atmosphere that Sakura could feel even when she's outside. There are still some people wandering around the town, but other than that, everyone else had returned back to their cottages and houses.  
  
The more Sakura walked, the more she wished that this town was in Japan, and how she hoped she could just take this road straight home to where her mother, father, and brother was. Sakura held their memories dear inside her heart, and tonight she once again wishes to be by their side. It was like yesterday when Sakura came home from the market selling flowers, and her mother welcomes her back with a plate full of onigiri. Her father would come out of the kitchen, as usual, and give Sakura a gentle kiss on the forehead while Touya would appear behind her and tousle her hair like a big brother would do to a little kid. Sakura would smile every time she receives this welcome from her family, and all her stress would vanish before her when she's with them. The pain in her heart is now continuously wishing to be the way it was before.  
  
Suddenly, when Sakura snapped out of her dream, she noticed that she had wandered too far away from the Inn. Now, she have completely no idea where it is, plus now the town had darkened a whole lot more than before, making it even harder to find the way back. Sakura tried to stay as calm as possible, now slowly she retraced her steps and hopefully it would lead back to where the Inn was.  
  
While Sakura is walking, she had a very unpleasant feeling that someone was following her. No, she can sense more than one person following her. Sakura's heart started to beat very quickly with fear, and her footsteps picked up the pace. By now, she was certain that a group of people is following her, since their footsteps are also audible. Sakura started running with her eyes closed, and do nothing to look back. But, unfortunately, Sakura wasn't fast enough to out run them. Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed Sakura's shoulders, squeezing it so hard that Sakura shrieked out loud and was forced to stop. Sakura collapsed onto the ground, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by a group of about six big built and muscular men.  
  
"My my. . .look what I've found guys?" A bearded man commented while he stepped in front of Sakura.  
  
"Looks like a lost little kitten!" A skinnier guy replied, his eyes looking at Sakura very deeply.  
  
Another few guys entered the scene. "Wow! Looks like you've caught a very sweet looking babe tonight!"  
  
"Mind if you share her with us?"  
  
"Yea, don't be so greedy! Give us a piece of her too!"  
  
Sakura could feel the rush of fear running up her body. Her legs are trembling like crazy, and her face broke into sweat. "Wh-what do you guys want?"  
  
A younger man laughed hysterically then answered, "Whoa, are you kidding me? You know what we want!" He winked at Sakura, and started touching her cheeks. "My, you have very smooth skin!"  
  
Sakura slapped his hands away. "Don't touch me!!"  
  
The same guy continued laughing. "OOH! This babe got some attitude! I bet I'll have to great fun with her!" All the rest of the guys laughed along with him.  
  
Sakura didn't know what she was doing, but she got up onto her legs and started running away towards the opposite direction. But she failed miserably in running away, since a muscular man caught her arms right away before Sakura could run her third step.  
  
"Trying to run away, are ya?" The muscular man asked, the pulled Sakura back so hard that Sakura thought her hand could be twisted by now. Tears started falling down Sakura's eyes as she felt more hopeless than ever.  
  
The muscular man swept Sakura off the ground with one of his hands while his other hand supported Sakura's back. "Now, let me carry this jewel away to our place!" The man said, then started walking. The rest of his group started cheering as they walked away.  
  
Sakura struggled and tried to free herself from the muscular man's arms. "Let go of me!!! STOP IT!! PLEASE!! LET GO!!" The guys didn't seem to listen as they continued laughing, while some started touching Sakura.  
  
Hopeless. . .Trapped. . .Doomed. . .  
  
"Please. . . let me go. . ." Sakura cried very hard, as all her energy was lost from all that screaming.  
  
'Prince Syaoran. . . . help me. . . . .rescue me. . . . . please. . . . .'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chibiwinwin: Finally finished this chapter!! I really need comments from you guys because I'm having major troubles in writing right now. Please review and give me opinions!  
  
And again, if you want me to email you for my next update, please say so in the review! Arigatou minna-san!! 


	11. Ch 10 Rescued?

A/n: *bows* My deep apologies to everyone who has been so patient with me. It has been.....8 months since my last update...oh god I am so ashamed!! Thank you for coming back and reading my next chapter! I hope you enjoy it ^__^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sealed in our Fate. . .  
  
Hopeless. . .Trapped. . .Doomed. . .  
  
"Please. . . let me go. . ." Sakura cried very hard, as all her energy was lost from all that screaming.  
  
'Prince Syaoran. . . . help me. . . . .rescue me. . . . . please. . . . .  
  
Chapter 10 – Rescued?  
  
The china tea set that was neatly set on his table was knocked onto the ground, spilling all the contents across the wooden floor and shattering the fragile glass. The prince groaned at his own clumsiness as he bent down and picked up the scraps. As he grabbed the largest piece of shattered glass, he accidentally sliced his skin with the razor sharp edges of the glass. He stared at his blood slowly layering his finger and felt uneasy for a quick moment, as if something extremely unpleasant was happening. He could hear screams in his mind and he saw a dim image of a shadowed girl flickering in his mind.  
  
He shook his head vigorously. 'Must be an illusion caused by pain. . .' he thought. He left the pile of glass on the ground as he stepped up towards the window and took a long look at the clear night sky.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Put me down. . . what do you guys want? I have nothing valuable, and there's no use in kidnapping me since I'm just a servant. . ." Sakura tried to convince the bandits. She was still being carried by the muscular man who carelessly flopped Sakura over his broad shoulders.  
  
One of the bandits broke into a big laugh. "It's not money that we want, we already made a lot of those last night." He licked his lower lip and rubbed his hands together, grinning at Sakura. "We just want to spend the night with some entertainment from you, that's all!"  
  
Sakura widened her eyes and felt a stream of fright running down her body. "W-what are you planning to do with me?" she asked nervously.  
  
"Hah, that's the beauty of it!" Another bandit answered. "You'll see once we bring you to our hideout! The more surprising, the more fun it is!" He laughed hysterically, and the others joined in with their horrifying laughter.  
  
'I must do something...' Sakura kept on repeating to herself, but there wasn't much that she could do. She struggled to break herself free from the man's arms, but the grip of his one hand already overpowered her whole body. She couldn't kick herself free since the man had his other arms locked around Sakura's legs, and her arms were already tangled with some very thick rope. 'Helpless. . .I'm completely helpless. . ." Sakura relaxed her tensed muscles finally, her head dropped on the man's back, crying.  
  
The skinnier bandit who was directly behind the muscular man observed Sakura. "Oh my. . ." he started, "I think the little princess is crying! HAH! You should handle girls a little gentler, cap'n!" He roughly patted Sakura's head. "Hey princess, shall I remind you that crying won't make a difference? No one will save you, or in other words, no one CAN save you! So give it up, the 'Dragon Eye Bandits' has never been defeated by anyone before!"  
  
As the bandits approached the next intersection, they were suddenly attacked! Before the eye could follow, two of the bandits had already lied unconscious on the ground. Punches and kicks appeared out of nowhere in lightning speed, and none of them was able to trace the moves.  
  
"Who...w-who's there?! Show yourself!!" One of them shouted. Another kick landed on him, swiping him off his feet.  
  
The muscular bandit was startled to confusion. "Wh-what the?!?! What's going on?? Who the..." A straight punch was sent across his face, knocking him down and sending him to tumble across the ground. Sakura, who was previously held across his shoulders, was sent flying viciously through the air.  
  
"GGYYAA!!" Sakura shouted. She was tossed across the road all the way to the other side where her momentum was interrupted by a large brick wall. Sakura let out a faint cry as she tried to stand herself up and figure out what just happened. But before she had the chance too, the person scooped her off her feet as he ran out of sight of the bandits.  
  
"Uuugghhh..." The bandits that were knocked unconscious groaned in pain as he stood back up. "What the heck just happened?" As he scanned across the scene, he spotted the muscular man lying on the floor with blood leaking out his nose and mouth. "CAP'N!!" He shouted and quickly approached him.  
  
"Cap'n Cap'n!! Are you alright, cap'n??!"  
  
The muscular bandit whipped the smaller bandit with the back of his hand so hard, that the slapping sound echoed in the dark night. "YOU IDIOTS!!! HOW THE HELL DID YOU LET HER GET AWAY??!"  
  
The smaller bandit bowed his head way down and cried. "I'm sorry, cap'n!! I'm terribly sorry!! Please, spare my life!!"  
  
"HMPH!!" The muscular bandit kicked the smaller bandit aside, wiped his face clean with the back of his hands, and stood up toughly. The other bandits quickly brushed their painful expressions away and gathered around the muscular bandit as well.  
  
One of them piped up. "What should we do now? We're not going to let that guy run away so easily, after wiping us out like that!!"  
  
"Heh, who says I'm going to let him get away?" The muscular bandit replied with a big grin planted on his face. He slowed revealed a hidden knife under his sleeves, drenched with blood that's still dripping at the end of the blade.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sakura was still wrapped in confusion as she's still being carried by someone. She slowly gazed upwards to catch a sight of her hero, and how startled she was to realized that the Prince came out and saved her!!  
  
"P-Prince Syaoran!!" Sakura called his name out loudly.  
  
"SHHH!!" The Prince hushed. "Do you want us to be caught again? If not, be quiet!!"  
  
Sakura broke into tears immediately. "Ohh, Prince Syaoran! I don't know what I'll do if you didn't come for me tonight...how? How did you know I was in trouble?"  
  
"It was an illusion, an imagination, or perhaps a bad omen." He answered dryly, his avoiding eye contact with Sakura.  
  
Sakura buried her face in Syaoran's chest and wept liked a child. "I'm so glad, your majesty. I'm so glad that you came to save me when I'm just a low classed servant. I'm so glad..." She broke into a deep cry, so emotional that it'll break anyone's heart just hearing it.  
  
"Just shut up and go to sleep or something." He suggested in a cruel way. To be honest, he couldn't withstand watching her cry. He tightened up his embrace and pulled her closer to his chest as he continued running down the streets.  
  
'I can hear his heartbeat, pounding so fast...' Sakura leaned her ears towards the Prince's chest. The rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her down a bit as she closed her eyes and rested on his chest.  
  
However, Sakura noticed his heart pounding incredibly fast and his breathing accelerating. His puffing was so strong that it was audible to Sakura's ears. Droplets of sweat trickled down his cheeks and landed on Sakura's face. Obviously, the prince cannot hold on much longer.  
  
"Prince Syaoran!! Please, put me down!" Sakura cried out. The prince ignored and continued running, picking up his speed.  
  
Sakura pushed herself away a bit, struggling to get off since the prince wouldn't listen. The prince tightened up his arms and held Sakura back close to his chest. "Don't be ridiculous..." he wheezed, "what makes you think I'll save you then throw you away...?"  
  
That left Sakura speechless for a while. She felt very weak and useless at the moment, feeling as though her existence was a burden to the prince. She averted her gaze to somewhere else, knowing that her stubbornness wouldn't do both of them any good. As she looked down, she caught a glimpse at Syaoran's waist with blood oozing out and staining his belt. The pumping of the blood up his wound was so hard that Sakura could feel it.  
  
"Prince Syaoran!! You're injured!! You must put me down and let me treat your wound!!" Sakura hollered in a worried tone. The prince, again, ignored her as he closed his eyes tightly pretending that he didn't hear her.  
  
Another round of tears flooded Sakura's eyes. "I beg you...please!! I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to you! Oh, your majesty! Just put me down and run!!" Once again, she bawled loudly and soaked up his shirt with overflowing tears.  
  
"Ugghhhh!" The prince grunted loudly in pain. More blood gushed out of his deeply slashed wound as the prince grew weaker each step he took. He cried in agony with the last of his strength he was able to use, then slowly collapsed. Right before he fell to the ground, he twisted his body slightly so that he wouldn't toss Sakura to the cold ground.  
  
"GYAAA!!! Prince Syaoran!!" Sakura screamed as she fell across the prince's unconscious body. "Prince Syaoran!! PRINCE SYAORAN!!" She shook him on his shoulders as she continuously called out his name. She must do something fast...she must wake up before the bandits catch up to them. But it seems like only a miracle would allow this to happen.  
  
Familiar laughs and snickers came from behind the walls. The devils appeared right in front of Sakura's eyes again, many time more horrifying than before. The bandits have caught up to them.  
  
Sakura trembled as she glared with intensity at the bandits. She flung her body over the prince's, trying to shield him from them. She closed her eyes and murmured something to the prince's ears.  
  
"Heh, thought you could escape from us, didn't you princess?" The skinny bandit approached Sakura and pulled her hair, which made her yelp a bit.  
  
The muscular bandit walked up to Sakura, his eyes glaring at her with anger. "You shall pay for what you've done..." He whispered with intensity. Immediately, he sent a forceful punch right across Sakura's head, instantly knocking her unconscious as she fell right beside Syaoran.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A sudden splash of ice-cold water rejuvenated Sakura from her unconsciousness. Her whole body was shivering since the water immensely cooled her down in the cold night breeze. The first thing she felt was the pounding headache she received from the punch, the pain so great that it was almost unbearable. It took her a while to regain her vision because she was inside a small cave lit with nothing else but a small campfire. When she can feel the light stinging her eyes, she could also feel her hands and feet both tied tightly with thick ropes. She attempted a scream, but a thick cloth that filtered her voice sealed her mouth.  
  
"Mmmppphh!! Mmmpphh!!" She cried in her muffled voice. Her eyes are still terribly blurry, but she could clearly see the silhouette of a man sitting near the campfire.  
  
"So you have finally awakened." The man sniggered. "I thought you would never wake up, so I refreshed you a bit with the water."  
  
Sakura blinked several times to clear her vision as she slowly recognizes the man in front of her was the same bandits from before. She had a quick urge to struggle herself free from the tight ropes, but it was tied too tightly that makes it impossible for Sakura to snap it at all. Kicking wasn't any help either, her feet clamped together and her mouth covered up. Her hopes are diminished once again, until she just suddenly wondered 'where was the prince?'  
  
Beside her was Prince Syaoran, still deeply hidden in his unconsciousness. His wound was left untreated, his hands and feet securely tied up also, and more bruises were detectable on his face. Obviously, the bandits gave him another round of beating when he was knocked out. Sakura slightly shifted herself over and nudged him with her elbows.  
  
'Prince Syaoran...please wake up!' She called silently. 'Please, just wake up and everything will be alright...' She continued nudging him and literally pushing him, hoping for him to open his eyes.  
  
The bandit picked up a bucket of water and approached the prince. "No need to waste time doing that, I'll lend you a hand." Immediately, he tossed the whole bucket including water inside directly towards the Prince, resulting a loud CLUNK when the bucket attacked his chest and the water splashing across his face.  
  
"MMMPPPPHHH!!!!" Sakura screamed as she sent an icy glare to the bandit. He through his hands in the air and shrugged as if he was innocent, then left the cave.  
  
"Uuuurrrrggghhh!!" The prince groaned in pain of the water stinging his wound. It hurt so much as if they threw salt in his freshly cut flesh. He bit his lower lip and keep his pain from growing, causing his lips to bleed. His eyes opened slowly to adapt to the light from the flames, his head also suffering from intense headaches, along with his whole body of slashes and bruises. He slowly looked around this unfamiliar place and found Sakura right beside him, her eyes red from crying hand her face nastily bruised. "Sak...ur...a..." He uttered weakly.  
  
"..................." Sakura muttered something, but her voice was completely absorbed by the cloth covering her mouth. Instead, she leaned her head against the prince's shoulders, sobbing loudly.  
  
'I'm so sorry for getting you into this mess, Prince Syaoran...' Sakura kept repeating in her mind, hoping her words can somehow transfer to his ears.  
  
The prince had the urge to comfort her, but the ropes kept him from any further motion. He turned his head slightly, rubbing Sakura's hair against his cold, bruised cheeks. "Don't worry," he whispered to her ears. "It's not your fault."  
  
His assurance comforted Sakura a bit, but it also made her cry even harder. She was so surprised that the Prince didn't blame her, but instead, whispered softly to her ears the words she wanted to hear the most. With that said, Sakura couldn't help adding more blame to herself, feeling that she doesn't deserve this kindness from the prince. The prince stared blankly at her reaction, hesitating whether to respond or not which resulted a long silence.  
  
"Oh my, I just can't wait!!" The bandits roared from the exterior of the cave. As they marched in, all six of them swaying and drunk, they brought along another unconscious victim all tied up and thrown across the shoulders of the muscular bandit.  
  
Startled, both Sakura and Syaoran sat up straight in an instant and watched. They threw the victim carelessly on the ground, which resulted a loud thump and a tiny groan from the victim. Without doubt, another poor girl was kidnapped by them.  
  
The muscular bandit turned around and headed towards Sakura. He bent down in front of her, turned her face towards his direction and stared straight into her eyes. "So how are you doing, my princess? Were my men rude to you in anyway? If so, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll beat them up for you." He finished with a nasty grin as he removed the handkerchief that covered her mouth, waiting for her reply.  
  
Sakura ignored him totally, turning her head away from him and closed her eyes.  
  
"My my my, what attitude! But, I love challenges." He forced Sakura to face him again by pulling her soft hair forcefully. He smiled, then worked his hands onto Sakura's thick clothes. She screamed and struggled, but it was no help at all.  
  
'He's going to do it!!' Sakura screamed in her head. 'NO! He's really going to do it!!' She closed her eyes to squeeze the tears out of her eyelids. 'I must do something...I can't let him do anything to me! I...I...'  
  
Suddenly, the prince threw his body across and knocked the muscular bandit aside. Sakura stared blankly, and was slightly frightened by the angered expression spread across the prince's face.  
  
The bandit hoisted himself back up to his feet and shot a death glare at the prince, who glared back from below. But the glare on the bandit's face disappeared into another nasty grin. To their surprise, he bent down and pulled the prince up onto his feet roughly. He grabbed his shirt and whispered to his ears.  
  
"Don't play games with me," he whispered, "because you're not going to win."  
  
After he finished, he formed a fist and punched it right at the prince's wound. The prince screamed in agony, his face turning extremely red as he dropped onto the ground, unable to speak from the excruciating pain.  
  
Sakura, eyes widened in shock, was just as speechless as the prince. At that moment, she really wished that she would just give herself to the bandit instead. Before the bandit could give the prince another kick on his ribs, the girl from behind suddenly screamed out "STOP!!"  
  
Everyone averted their gaze to the girl who we thought was still unconscious. She bit her lip, and spoke up again. "Just stop every!! Don't hurt anyone!! Why do you guys have to torture us anyways? Do you not have a heart in your chest, or were they ripped out?"  
  
The bandits broke into a huge laugh after she finished. One of them even tumbled across the ground from his hysterical laughter. Sakura tried to catch a glance at who the girl was. Under the flicker of the fire, it revealed the face of the brave girl who spoke up. The other victim was Hua Zhi.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chibiwinwin: 3109 word...I hope this satisfied some of you guys ^^;; Again, my deep apologies for my laziness. I'll try to work on the next chapter and get it updated soon!! Please, leave a review before you leave. Good, bad, please tell me! Or, if you want to yell at me for not updating, feel free anyways *laughs*  
  
Since it's been a long time, I'm not sure if some people would still want me to email them when I update. I still have my old list, but if you haven't yet and want me to email you, please tell me on your review! 


	12. Ch 11 The Ice Finally Melts

A/n: Yes…I feel my shame…it has been a while. I swear, I really thought I couldn't write anymore because I was so deprived of inspirations. I even considered dropping this fanfic forever…but it was unfair for you who kept on waiting for the next chapter and had such high hopes for me. That's why I want to dedicate this chapter to everyone who still keeps up with this fanfic. Please enjoy!

**Sealed in Our Fate…**

The bandits broke into a huge laugh after she finished. One of them even tumbled across the ground from his hysterical laughter. Sakura tried to catch a glance at who the girl was. Under the flicker of the fire, it revealed the face of the brave girl who spoke up. The other victim was Hua Zhi.

Chapter 11 – The Ice Finally Melts

Hua Zhi's body trembled incredibly after she gathered the courage to fight back, but she did it without regret. The muscular bandit turned around and started to approach her.

"What did you say again? You wouldn't mind repeating that, would you?" He spoke to her with great intensity.

Her legs couldn't support her fear any longer as she fell down, breaking into tears. His eyes alone were enough to bring her to death, now with the addition of his frightening tone of voice. She hid her face in the shadows and closed her eyes to prey for the disappearance of everything, including herself.

The muscular bandit showed a slight frown as he pulled Hua Zhi up fiercely by her clothes. "Come on, tell me what you just said and be brave like you were before!" He kept on slapping her face, urging her to speak. Eventually, blood spilled on the side of her lips and washed away from her stream of tears.

"She said every single one of you are devils who had their hearts ripped out and thrown to the bottom of the ocean." Sakura blurted out from behind. She absolutely could not stand watching them torture the poor girl anymore.

"Ah, I see now…" The muscular bandit nodded and acted like he agreed to what Sakura just said. "So we are devils without hearts. Everyone knew that by now. Here's the proof for you, my princess." He threw Hua Zhi hard onto the ground and made her cough out more blood. At least she was not suffering from his torture anymore. He gave a wink to the other bandits as a cue and then all of them scrambled out, carrying Hua Zhi with them.

"Hey!! Where are you guys going?? What are planning to do with Hua Zhi?" Sakura questioned.

The skinny bandit, who's carrying Hua Zhi turned around and grinned at Sakura. "We're taking her to a paradise we created just for tonight. Any last words?" The other bandits broke into laughter as if this was the biggest joke they've ever heard.

Sakura's eyes widened from shock and disbelieve. "LEAVE HER ALONE!! What has she done to deserve this?? She's completely innocent! You can't just…"

"Sa…kura…" Hua Zhi's weak voice interrupted. "I'm so sorry…I wasn't any help…"

Sakura stared back blankly. "Help? But…why did you come out this late at night…to help me?"

"You were the kindest person I've ever met in my life. No one has ever given me a gift before…the sweet buns were very delicious…"

"You shouldn't have come! It was so dangerous…you should've stayed where you were!!" Sakura cried, unable to bear the truth that she dragged her into this mess.

"Thank you very, very much…" She said, before the bandits interrupted and carried her away from the cave.

"WAIT!! Hua Zhi!! Nooooo……WAIT!!" Sakura screamed, but the bandits didn't return. That was the last time Sakura could ever see her face again. Unable to believe what has happened, Sakura turned her head away and began to release a new stream of tears from her guilt.

"Aww…don't cry, little princess! Your turn will be next very soon!" The muscular bandit laughed as he left the cave and covered the entrance with a huge rock, impossible for Sakura and the prince to push it away at their current condition.

"It's…it's all my fault!! Hua Zhi…she was only trying to save me!" Sakura cried out loud. "Why…why does she have to suffer? She had never been happy before in her life! The world's so unfair to her!!" She couldn't control herself from her anger against fate. She had to allow the fact that fate overpowers everything; things that are set in place could never be changed, nor can you put anything into the place that has already been set.

"Stop…" The prince said. "There's no use to blame yourself over matters that cannot be changed. It's not your fault at all, Sakura. Things…are just meant to be this way…"

"Things can't be meant to be this way!!" Sakura cried back, louder. "Don't you have any sympathy for Hua Zhi? Her life was down in the drain ever since she was born!! But now…the worse is going to happen to her!! Fate is being so cruel to her!!"

"It's fate!! Accept it or die, that's the rule of life!" The prince replied harshly.

Her anger reached to its peak. "I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS!! You may be a prince, and your life was going the right way ever since you came into this cruel world!! What do you know about suffering?? What do you know about losing an important person??"

This sent them both straight to silence. Immediately, Sakura regretted what she just said. He really is the prince of China rumored to have a short temper, and he definitely doesn't need this right now.

Sakura swallowed. "I'm…so sorry…Prince Syaoran. I was just so ashamed of myself that…"

"I understand…" the prince interrupted calmly. Sakura was quite relieved to see that he wasn't offended, but the solemn look on his face was not reassuring at all.

Sakura said again, "I'm really, really sorry. You can yell back at me if you want…or hit me, or do anything that would make you feel better…"

The prince simply looked away, ignoring Sakura. He looked as if he was lost in his trail of thoughts.

'Oh, stupid stupid Sakura! Why did I have to be such an idiot? Prince Syaoran was so nice to me…but I just had to say something to hurt him! I'm just so useless!' Sakura blamed herself as she knocked her head against the wall apologetically. But she suddenly realized something wrong with the prince's words.

"What," she brought herself to ask, "…do you mean when you said you…understand? You mean…you actually…?"

The prince didn't answer.

'Now I've done it! He must really hate me for bringing these things up now…what should I do?' Sakura could feel a slight headache rushing up her head from her guilt.

"She was my best friend ever since I could remember…" the prince finally spoke. But he's still facing the other direction, avoiding eye contact with Sakura.

"…Really?" Sakura answered.

"The best friend I ever had…the only person I ever trusted…" he chanted, his voice shaking a little.

Sakura was silenced for a little while, hesitating on whether she should say something cheerful or just listen. Her voice didn't make a noise when she opened her mouth, so it only left her the option to listen to what the prince had to say.

"I would never forget her…it was so painful when they took her away…" the prince choked at the end. When he turned around slightly, Sakura couldn't believe what she's seeing.

_The Ice Prince…is crying?_

"Please! Tell me about your problems! I want to know more!" Sakura blurted out before she could stop herself.

The prince was actually able to bring himself to a little smile when he realized how interested she was. "It was ever since I could remember when we spent all our days together at the garden in the palace…it was a dream…"

FLASHBACK 11 years ago

"Xiao Ling!! Where are you? Come out and play with me!" The young 5-year-old prince called across the wide, peony garden. He looked everywhere for her: under the bushes, behind the trees, inside the flowerbeds, everywhere.

The prince frowned slightly as he started running faster, calling out louder. "Xiao Ling! Please come out!! I don't know where you are…and I can't find you! Please come out!! I want to play with you!"

His voice echoed across the huge garden, accompanied by the rustling of the bushes and the whistling of the spring-scented breeze. The sun was exceptionally hot today, but the sunshine was more cheerful than any other spring day. The palace was a very quiet and peaceful environment, just like a paradise of everlasting dreams.

The prince searched and searched, but still no signs of Xiao Ling. He was becoming vulnerable to the intense heat, and he was getting very exhausted from the running. Soon enough, he dropped to his knees and started crying very loudly. "Why won't you play with me? Does Xiao Ling hate me?" He sniffed and sobbed loudly.

Suddenly, a voice from far away called, "Syaoran!! Syaoran!!"

The prince got up to his feet right after he heard his name. "That's Xiao Ling's voice…" he told himself. "Xiao Ling!! Where are you??"

"I'm over here!!" The little girl shouted back. "Right behind the cherry tree!!"

He scanned the garden for cherry trees, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack. "Where?? Which tree??" He asked as he ran towards the direction of her voice, looking behind the forest of cherry trees. Before she answered back, the prince already found her sitting beside the tree. The little girl turned around, revealing her eyes swollen red from crying and her knees scraped nastily.

"Syaoran!!" She cried out happily, drying her tears with the back of her hands. "You found me!!"

He knelt down beside her, examining her injured knees. "What happened? Why are you bleeding?"

Xiao Ling's cheeks are flushed with pink. "I heard you calling me, so I started running to you. But I tripped over the rock."

She flinched a little while the prince rubbed her wound with his long sleeves.

"Oh, I'm really sorry! Did it hurt a lot?" The prince apologized immediately and took his hands away from her knees.

She shook her head vigorously. "No, it doesn't hurt anymore!! It's OK, I can stand up now…" She attempted to stand, but she couldn't fight against the pain.

"Don't move anymore." The prince ordered. He ripped a piece of fabric from his long jacket and tied it around her knees to cover up the wound. "There, that should work!"

"Thank you!" Xiao Ling chirped. "But, I still can't walk…"

Before Xiao Ling finished, the prince picked her up on his back, giving her a piggy-back ride. "I'll carry you back to your room, like I always do! And when you get better, we'll play hide and seek again!"

"YAY!! Piggy-back ride!" She exclaimed as she leaned her head against his small, yet broad shoulders.

The way back to Xiao Ling's palace is quite a long walk from the garden, but the prince ignored his exhaustion and continued to carry the little girl on his back. On his way, he passed through many gardens, crossed many bridges, and walked around many small palaces to finally get to Xiao Ling's home.

The prince gently placed the girl down at the front steps of her palace. He was breathing very hard and his face was covered with droplets of sweat. But he smiled anyway and said, "Hurry and get your legs treated when you get in!"

Xiao Ling threw her arms around the prince and kissed him lightly on his cheeks. "Syaoran I like you very much! When I grow up, can I be your wife?"

His face turned beet red immediately as he looked at her sweet little face. "Umm…uhhh....I don't know…"

"PPLLLLEEAASSSEEE?" she begged with her irresistible puppy eyes.

The prince smiled and returned the hug. "Alright, I promise to make you my wife when we grow up."

"For real?" Xiao Ling asked, holding out her pinky.

"It's a promise." He assured her by crossing his pinky with hers as the sign of an everlasting promise.

"YAY!!" The little girl cheered as she entered her palace. The prince watched her disappear behind the doors before returning to his own palace.

The next morning arrived with a relaxing sunshine that welcomed the following day. The prince woke up especially early on this beautiful day, and the first thing that came to his mind was to find Xiao Ling. He quickly performed his morning routines, groomed himself nicely, then approached out of the towering palace doors and out to Xiao Ling's palace.

On his way, he realized that something went wrong in the palace. The guards were scrambling around, all quickly heading to the same direction. He also noticed that the gardens were especially quiet for a typical spring morning when it should be loaded with other royal family members enjoying the spring breeze beside the flowerbeds. He watched for a few minutes, wondering where everyone went. Then he finally realized that everyone was approaching Xiao Ling's palace.

A sense of horror struck the young prince's heart. He couldn't help imagining the worst to happen to his precious friend Xiao Ling as he ran as quickly as he can towards her palace. Arriving to her palace was probably the biggest nightmare he ever had in his short little life.

Guards were surrounding the palace while he could hear sounds of screaming and crying mixed together. It was the most terrifying sound he has ever heard, something that he would never want to recall ever again. People from all over the palace gathered around the scene, pointing and gossiping about the possible incidents that might've happened. The servants who worked in Xiao Ling's palace were pulled out, one by one, viciously by the strong guards; the screams that etched loudly into his mind. The longer he watched, the more unbearable it was to keep watching.

The Empress soon exited from the tall palace doors and muttered something to the guards who carried the people away. The young prince pushed through the crowd and approached his mother anxiously. "Where is Xiao Ling? What happened to her palace?"

The look on the Empress' face was stern and expressionless. "You will never see anyone from this palace again. The servants will be executed tomorrow and the royal family shall be banished."

He couldn't believe a word his mother just said. _Banished? Executed? When did this happen? What happened?_

"…why? What did Xiao Ling do?"

" – Do not interfere with this matter any deeper, Syaoran. From now on, Xiao Ling and her family will never be mentioned again in this palace or else consequences will be placed. Do you understand?"

The tears stung his eyes. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" He cried out loud to his mother, something no one had ever dared to do to the Empress. "I just promised to marry her yesterday!! Why do we have to separate?? Why do we have to break our promise??"

"Wipe you tears clean this instant. I don't want to see you crying about this any further." The Empress ordered him as she left the palace. The crowd left with the Empress, leaving the prince standing at the front of the palace, alone.

END OF FLASHBACK

He weeps loudly under his arms, crying like a child who had just lost his mother. He has mentioned something that kept him so cold over the years: the grief that was trapped within him for all these years. Not even one person was he able to pass the story along to before Sakura because he had such a strong sense of insecurity. But now, even after his release of sadness, his tears won't stop rolling down his cheeks while new droplets form under his eyelids.

Sakura opened her arms to him, wrapping it firmly around his shoulders and soothing his back. She never knew the prince could feel so strongly about anyone. He is so vulnerable and fragile right now, it gives Sakura the opportunity to hold him tightly against her chest, giving him support and strength. He buries his face on her shoulders, accepting her support and returning the embrace. The first shoulders he had ever leaned on.

She gently rubs her hands onto his hair, ruffling it slightly. "Please, don't let yourself cry anymore after this time, your majesty. Your eyes were not meant for crying…"

He was so close to her that he could hear her heart beating against his face. She tried to move herself so that she could see the prince's face, but he quickly jerked away and tightened the embrace.

"Don't let go of me! Let me stay like this…just for a little longer…"

He hand never felt anyone holding him so tightly before. The scent from her body was sweet and soothing, pulling him even closer to her.

Sakura turned bright red, not knowing what to do. She can't worry about anything else right now, except for giving him support. With both of them holding each other, Sakura wished this moment would last forever. Before she knew what she was doing, she bent over and placed a sweet yet gentle kiss on his forehead, absorbing all his sadness into her kiss and sharing it inside her body.

_The Ice Prince has finally melted the tears from his eyes_.

Chibiwinwin: I FINALLY got through this chapter!! I felt like it could take forever for me to even finish it. Thanks for reading and keep up with my fanfic, I really REALLY appreciates it!! Remember to leave a comment and review before you leave!


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